Shadowfire
by RadiantBeam
Summary: A collection of shorts and drabbles set in my ViCia universe. Mostly random gag stuff and some background on Lutecia's job as a Shadow. Updated at random. ::Lutecia x Vivio:
1. Alternate Realities FTW

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

Author's Note: So after much urging by my friends on AnimeSuki, I finally gave in and decided to post my own drabble-dump for the shorts that weren't long enough to be considered stories. These are all set in my ViCia universe, mainly pre-Shadow arc because most of them were written last year and weren't published until now. Yeah.

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"I _hate_ alternate realities."

Vivio spared her mentor a surprised look. "Really, Vita-sensei? I find it kind of cool."

"_You_ would." In a significantly worse mood than her younger student, Vita slumped in the plastic chair, sucking on the straw of her caramel milk carton and a scowl on her face, effectively scaring away half the population. "I'm not too comfortable about the thought of another me running around."

Nanoha giggled, in a surprisingly good mood considering the magical warp that had yanked her and her two companions through time and space into an odd little alternate reality with another version of them running around. "Come on, Vita. It's no different from home. Besides, Hayate-chan—_theirs_, not ours—said they're doing everything they can. We just have to wait."

Vita grumbled, gulping a mouthful of milk. "I just can't believe it… in this world, Hayate and Verossa actually get _married_… I'm gonna have to watch that bastard like a damn hawk when we get home…"

While Nanoha attempted to soothe her angry little friend, Vivio watched the passing people with evident curiosity, perched on the edge of her seat and earning some odd looks from the people walking by. In this world, her other self had learned how to handle Mid-Childan magic under the guidance of her mothers and Chrono, and wielded a device called Burning Glory, which was set as a dark blue ring on her finger when not in use. The use of her Belkan-based Parsifal, on the other hand, was the total opposite of her counterpart, and only a threat from _both_ Vitas had kept Mariel from dismantling him on the spot to see what made him tick.

After looking around for a few minutes, Vivio couldn't help noticing that her other self was hanging around the landing area, evidently waiting for something or someone to arrive. Unable to resist, Vivio leaned out and snagged the sleeve of a passerby, which happened to be this world's Caro. "Hey, Caro-nee," she murmured, and the older woman leaned in closer curiously, always willing to help. "Who's Vivio waiting for?"

It took a few minutes for Caro to recall that there were two separate Vivios, looking between the pair quickly to confirm that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her; she smiled. "Oh, Vi's waiting for Lu-chan. She's been on a mission for about six months now, and today she's coming home." The pink-haired summoner laughed. "I think it'll be good for Vivio. She's been going slowly insane since Lu-chan left. It happened right after they got together, too, so that made it worse in some ways, I think…"

A joyful cry of "Cia!" interrupted the conversation, and both girls looked up.

Just in time to see Vivio fly into the arms of Lutecia Alphine, her arms coming tight around the older girl's neck as she kissed her.

Right on the mouth.

Deeply.

Vivio blinked; her jaw dropped.

"I… have a girlfriend in this world?" She blinked several times, trying to process this new information. "B… but… Nanoha-mama said I can't date yet… and Lutecia-chan's four years older than me…"

"What can I say? Love knows no limits." Caro patted Vivio cheerfully on the shoulder as the couple in front of them broke apart and started away, fingers twined together as they spoke in low tones.

Nanoha paled.

Suddenly in a much better mood, Vita chuckled. "Better watch out, Nanoha," she teased, nudging the woman with her elbow. "_Your_ Vivio might start getting some ideas now."

Nanoha narrowed her eyes.

"… I'm watching Vivio like a _hawk_ when we get home."

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I wrote this last year after talking with DezoPenguin and realizing that in both our series, Vivio was fifteen when something major happened in her life. It kind of just evolved from there.


	2. Jealousy's Just Another Form Of Love

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

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"Hello, Alphine."

Lutecia winced and forced the smile as the young silver-haired man smiled charmingly at her. She didn't know his name—either that or she simply wasn't interested enough to remember it—but she _did_ know he was persistent. He'd been stopping to talk to her whenever she went to lunch for the past three or four days.

Personally, she was more than ready to sic Garyuu on him. She only restrained herself because they were always surrounded. He did it on _purpose_, the damn bastard.

Despite the rising urge, Lutecia forced a smile. "Oh. Smith. What a surprise." _Not_. "Don't you still have training with Nanoha-san?"  
"She let us off a few minutes ago to eat." His smile brightened a few watts. "Would you mind eating with me? I'd enjoy the company. All the other recruits I train with are mainly men."

One of the larger problems with dating someone significantly younger than her, Lutecia had quickly discovered, was that said younger person was usually training in the morning and spent the rest of the day at school. While it was by now a well known fact that Lutecia was involved with someone, as the two had been together for a few months now, Smith either didn't listen to rumors or simply figured that if the person was never present when he was, then that person didn't exist.

"Thank you for the offer." Her smile was strained at the edges. "But I already promised Erio and Caro I'd sit with them." And both of them had seen her situation and were coming over to help her out, thank God. "And, to be very blunt, Smith, I'm already involved with someone else."

His eyes narrowed; he stepped closer. "At least give me a chance, Alphine. I never see your boyfriend at all. He can't be a good one if he leaves you alone all the time."

_Boyfriend?_ Lutecia arched an eyebrow. _That information is flawed. And sorry, but you're getting a little too close for comfort._ "Your concern is sweet but unneeded, Smith," she replied coolly. "Unless you've spoken to her yourself, you're in no position to judge my girlfriend."  
Smith's eyes widened slightly. "Girlfriend?" He reached out; Lutecia gritted her teeth.

She didn't need to do anything.

_"Radiant Shooter."_

The small ball of rainbow-colored energy, similar in some ways to Nanoha's Divine Shooter (no doubt modeled after it, for obvious reasons) had been released while Burning Glory was in ring form and therefore wasn't quite as powerful as it would have been if it had been fired while he was released. The impact was still enough to send Smith staggering back, landing with a loud crash that made some cringe and others chuckle.

"Who did that?!" He roared, shooting up as fast as he'd fallen, his shirt slightly torn and a bruise on his cheek. "I swear when I get my hands on you I'll—"

Lutecia's voice was mild, and as cold as frozen ice on a snowy day. "I wouldn't recommend that, Smith."

From where she stood beside Lutecia, fingers laced with the older woman's, Vivio rested her cheek against her girlfriend's shoulder and looked at Smith innocently, her lips twitching traitorously as Burning Glory calmed on her finger.

"Smith, my girlfriend Vivio." Lutecia smiled slightly as Erio and Caro came up behind them. "Lay a finger on her and I'll make you regret it."

Smith knew when a retreat was needed.

Watching the silver-haired man slink away into a chuckling crowd, Lutecia glanced down at Vivio and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't you have school?" she whispered.  
"I had a bad feeling. I'd be in a study hall right now anyway, so I'm not missing anything."

Lutecia tilted her head to look down at her girlfriend, smirking. Vivio glanced up at her and blinked. "What?" she asked, confused. Unable to resist, Lutecia brushed loose strands of hair out of her eyes.

"You're cute when you're jealous."

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A second drabble in one day, because I have nothing better to do.

I wrote this as my first real short that focused specifically on Vivio and Lutecia sometime last year, and even now it's one of my favorites. I especially liked creating a scenario where Vivio was actually protecting her loved one from a real annoyance.


	3. Tongue Rape

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

Author's Notes: The fall-out to Caro kissing Lutecia in "Never Confessed", three months later.

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"So, Lu-chan… don't you have something to say to me?"

Disgruntled, the purple-haired summoner glanced at her oldest friend. Caro was practically glowing in comparison to her teammate as the two took a seat, Lutecia gripping her cherry Coke like a lifeline. "I have nothing to say," she shot back. "Unless you're talking about your attempted rape three months ago."

"Rape?" Caro blinked innocently. "It was just a _kiss_, Lu-chan."

"You _raped_ me. With your _tongue_. I still have _nightmares_ about it, dammit."

"Okay, okay, so it's tongue rape. But if I hadn't done it, you wouldn't be with Vivio right now, would you?"

Lutecia shrugged, gulping a mouthful of Coke. Immediately noticing her friend's silence and obvious exhaustion, Caro couldn't help but lean in, curious. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"I didn't sleep a wink last night." Lutecia stifled a yawn behind her hand. "It's catching up with me, I guess."

"Huh? Wait… but… weren't you just out with Vivio last night? I thought—"

The idea hit hard and fast and made Lutecia smirk. Standing, she snagged her cherry Coke and started to head out, taking a long drink from her bottle. "She's a good kisser," she called over her shoulder. "_Very_ good. Better than you, I'd say."

Caro's eyes bugged out of their sockets as her jaw dropped.

"_LU-CHAN!_ Don't tell me you—you haven't gotten _that_ far—it's only been _three months_, Nanoha-san would _kill_ you if—_DID YOU?!"_

Lutecia chuckled and called back once more, her tone singsong.

"That's for _me_ to know and _you_ to find out, Caro."

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...

So apparently, I have chicken pox. Joy.


	4. Didn't Want To Hurt Her

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

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"You know, when you think about it, technically you and Vivio met sooner than you thought you did."

Surprised, Lutecia glanced at Caro curiously as Vivio swallowed a mouthful of the breadstick she'd stolen from the basket at Hayate's office when the older woman wasn't looking. Seeing the look on her companion's face and realizing she didn't understand, Caro decided to elaborate. "You know, when Jail and the Numbers attacked. Your mission was to retrieve Vivio, wasn't it? You and Garyuu had her when Erio-kun and I returned."

Lutecia blinked before glancing down at Vivio, who looked just as surprised as she did. "I honestly don't remember much about the invasion," the younger girl admitted, shrugging. "It all happened so fast."

"Well, you have to remember _something_, don't you? I mean, you were unconscious in Garyuu's arms, you had to have run into Lu-chan for her to knock you out…"

"I didn't knock her out."

It was Caro's turn to look surprised, seeking Lutecia's eyes. The Belkan summoner looked uncomfortable, but she plunged on. "I didn't knock her out," she repeated. "I… well, um…" She shifted in her chair. "I knew I had to get her. The Doctor had told me that much, so I _was_ looking for her."

Over the past ten years Lutecia had rarely talked about her time with Jail and what she had done to please him for Megane's sake. She still maintained close relationships with the Numbers who remained in the TSAB, was seen with Agito almost as much as Signum was, and visited Zest's grave time and again, but she hadn't spoken a word about the missions she'd carried out for him.

"I didn't know what he wanted her for. To be honest, I didn't… I didn't care. Really, I was willing to do anything for Mom back then." Lutecia cleared her throat, painfully aware of Vivio's presence as she spoke. "When I found her, she was alone. I think her nurse had been separated from her in the fight or something…" She looked at Vivio for confirmation, but she merely shrugged.

"So what did you do?"

"Erm… well, when I found her, she was just huddled in the corner. She was scared senseless, so…" Lutecia awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I knew I had to get her, but the Doctor never told me _how_, and I didn't want to hurt her. She was just a little kid. I had to draw the line somewhere, so…"

"So?"

"… I just… I kind of sat there." Lutecia swallowed, feeling awkward. "Waited to see what she'd do. Talked to her a bit to calm her down. Eventually she calmed down, so… I kept talking to her. Waited. I guess the excitement was too much, because she started dozing off… and at that point I summoned Garyuu to get her, and when she started squirming I just talked to her again, and she settled down." She held up both hands defensively. "I didn't knock her out, okay? I didn't want to hurt her or scare her."

A few minutes of silence passed.

If Vivio hadn't already been in love with Lutecia, that moment would have done it. Smiling, she rested her cheek against the older woman's shoulder. "You're sweet," she murmured. "Not wanting to hurt a little kid you didn't even know."

"I know her now." Gently, Lutecia took Vivio's hand.

"Yeah."

And Vivio decided to keep quiet about the fact that she remembered bits and pieces of the invasion.

And that she remembered how Lutecia had sat there, and talked to her, and kept her calm. How gentle her eyes had been, how soft her voice had sounded. She'd remembered, and she'd clung to that memory even when she'd fallen back into Jail's hands.

It was her little secret.

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... Yeah. Shameless ViCia fluff, written last year and my explaination as to how Lutecia and Garyuu got their hands on Vivio during the invasion in episode 16-17. Because for some reason, I can't imagine Lutecia hurting lil' Vivio.


	5. Bet On It

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

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Lifting the glass to her lips, Yagami Hayate took a long drink of eggnog, keeping a watchful eye on the three blurs of movement that streaked through the room in hot pursuit of Yuuno and Miyuki's daughter Nami. Feeling her husband at her side, she sighed as one of her boys tackled his twin while the other screeched to a halt, looking at the pair with blank confusion. "Why boys?" she murmured absently. "Triplets. Why did they have to be boys? I would have liked quiet little girls."

"You would have been bored senseless." Verossa chuckled. "Who was the one who taught them how to fire their first arrows of magic, hmm?"

Hayate smirked. She had, of course. Her boys were a handful, but there was no denying that they brought a light into her life that she'd never imagined. And besides, right now they had just enjoyed their seventh birthday; the real fun hadn't even started yet, and she had the feeling that it would all revolve around little Nami, two years their senior.

On that thought, her eyes drifted lazily towards the pair of the evening. Lutecia Alphine and Vivio Takamachi had parted for the time being, mingling with their respective social circles—Vivio with her friends from school, Lutecia with Erio and Caro. Despite the physical distance between them there was no doubt that they were thinking of each other, and occasionally they brushed their hands together as they passed by.

_Would you look at them. Ten years lead to this_. Hayate sighed. All she truly regretted over seeing the two together—and she didn't regret it, she loved Vivio just as much as Fate and Nanoha—was the loss of her best betting pool. Because of the years that had passed, Hayate had managed to gain quite a number of followers in the bet, and by the time it had ended no one had felt sore about it. Still, it had been entertaining; and she truly missed it.

And then, in the midst of the Christmas party, something in Hayate's brain clicked together. Seeing the light come into his wife's eyes, Verossa raised a brow. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Nanoha came then, leading Fate by the hand, trailed by Teana and Subaru. The four had just left Nanoha's family, having spent a good portion of time with them. Just because the whole family had relocated to Mid-Childa when Vivio was still young wasn't an excuse to not spend as much time with them as possible.

"Hayate's got a new idea," Verossa explained, gesturing to his wife.

Fate and Nanoha exchanged amused looks while Teana and Subaru watched curiously. The pair was all too familiar with Hayate's love for creating a betting pool. "What has she got this time?" Fate asked.

A moment of silence; then Hayate looked innocently at the pair of mothers who had raised Vivio from her childhood. "Would you two be interested in a little bet, Fate-chan, Nanoha-chan?"

"What kind of bet?"

"Vivo and Lutecia." Hayate gestured briefly in the pair's direction. "Nearly a year, right?"

"Yes. Just a few months shy."

"Hmmm… well, on one end, Lutecia's the older of the two, plus she's naturally more reserved and quiet. She has patience down to an art, so she's not itching to get anywhere fast. Still, two years is a long time." She shrugged. "Then you have Vivio, who is very much Nanoha's daughter. She knows what she wants and she goes after it full force. Also, she's younger, more impatient, thinks she can handle herself." Calm blue eyes locked first with Nanoha, then with Fate. "What do you think?"

They got it, the way she had known they would; Subaru's jaw dropped and Teana's face flamed immediately. "G-General Yagami!" the redhead yelped. "Isn't that a bad question to be asking Vivio's—"

"Cia."

Fate's calm voice cut Teana off mid-sentence and had all eyes swinging towards her; the blonde Enforcer smiled and shrugged, absently sipping her drink. "I like Cia," she admitted. "I always have. I think she's a good match for Vivio, and I have faith in her. She's the follower when it comes to Vivio, she always has been, but she has a backbone when she needs one. She won't push Vivio to do anything she isn't ready for, and she'll be willing to stop her when she runs ahead." Fate took another sip. "So, my money's on Cia."

Since what Fate had said rang true in many aspects (some of them applying to the blonde herself), Hayate merely nodded before glancing curiously at Nanoha. "And you, Nanoha-chan? Any thoughts? Or are you staying out of this one?"

For a moment Nanoha said nothing, her gaze contemplative; after a moment she laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "This is totally contradicting what I feel," she confessed, "but I'll go ahead and say it anyway. I'm going with Vivio on this one." She shrugged as Teana sputtered. "She's my daughter, I won't deny it, in more ways than one. She sees something, she wants it, and she goes after it. Lutecia-chan might hold out, but Vivio's just stubborn enough to keep knocking at her until she caves." Nanoha glanced briefly at Fate, and the two shared a smirk. "I know I did it plenty to Fate-chan before we were even married." She turned back to Hayate. "My gut says Vivio, so I'm going with my gut, even if it's totally against my mother instincts."

"You're just encouraging her," Verossa muttered, chuckling. "Once you give her something, she's like a rabid dog and won't let go of it."

Hayate smacked his arm lightly in retaliation.

"Well, you know who we're both betting on." Fate took Nanoha's hand. "Now if we could go back to Miyuki and your mother, Nanoha…? Miyuki was just telling me a very entertaining story about your reaction when you found out she was dating Yuuno."

"Mou, is she _ever_ going to let me live that down?"

Hayate watched her friends disappear into the crowd again; after a moment, Subaru and Teana disappeared, as well, leaving her alone with Verossa. "That was interesting," her husband noted, keeping an eagle eye on their three boys.

"I expected it, actually."

"No bet from you?"

"Nothing yet. I'm curious to see how the relationship develops first. Besides… I have to get everyone else's opinions, too." She reached down, gave her husband's hand a light squeeze. "You're paying for that rabid dog remark later, by the way."

Verossa smirked. "I can hardly wait."

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Hayate has a thing for bets. Set during DezoPenguin's omake _The White Devil is Scary! _

Yes, I'm a Verossa/Hayate shipper. A die-hard Verossa/Hayate shipper. According to my math their three boys were born when Hayate was around 22, so they're 7 in this short. Their names are Kage, Hikaru, and Justice.

The reference to Nami and the Miyuki/Yuuno pairing is a callback to my fic "Stars and Thunder", which had one sentence dedicated to the pairing. Their little family is mentioned very, very briefly in "The Christmas Locket". Nami is 9 by this fic.

So, who would you bet on?


	6. The Perfect Gift

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

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"All right, everyone." Caro rested her hands on the table and slowly swept her eyes over the gathered Forwards and Lutecia, as though trying to make them understand the weight of their current situation. "Vivio's eighteenth birthday is coming up, and we all know what _that_ means."

A quiet murmur rippled through Erio, Teana, and Subaru; Lutecia, for her part, looked quite bored about the whole thing, absently twirling her pencil between her fingers. She'd already thought ahead and gotten her gift; why Caro had wanted her here in the first place was a mystery.

When no one came forth with any suggestions, Erio sighed. "Guys, come on," he urged. "Fate-san and Nanoha-san aren't here, and Hayate-san is off-planet and not somehow spying on us like she usually does to start her bets. You're all free to speak your minds."

A long silence passed; all eyes slowly turned to Lutecia. Snapping out of her boredom-induced haze as she felt three pairs of eyes focus on her, the Belkan summoner stilled her pencil and looked at her friends in confusion. "What?" she asked.

Caro leaned back in her chair. _So, what do you guys think?_ she asked mentally; it was the best course of action, since Lutecia couldn't hear them unless she was involved in the conversation. _Personally, I'm torn between tying a ribbon around her neck or shoving her in a box._

Subaru tapped her chin thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. _Why not just tie a ribbon around her neck and then shove her in the box?_ she suggested as Lutecia watched her, deeply disturbed by the glow in her eyes. _That way you can kill two birds with one stone._

A slow smirk curved Caro's lips and she nodded slowly; Subaru discreetly shared a high-five with Erio. Teana watched the trio for a moment, glanced briefly at Lutecia, and sighed mentally.

_Let me guess. She'll be wearing the ribbon and nothing else, right?_

Caro, Erio, and Subaru all smirked. Lutecia gulped as all eyes turned to her again. "Um… guys?" she squeaked.

"Get her!"

"GAH!!"

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Short and sweet works very, very well.

College kills me. It kills me dead. The only reason I'm even updating this is because most of it was written last year. Sorry about that.


	7. First Time

Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing. I am simply a poor student trying to survive the fall semester.

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Hell hath no fury like the White Devil scorned, especially when one of her children was caught up in Hell.

Legally Vivio was her only child, but Takamachi Nanoha loved every member of her family regardless of legalities; to her, Erio and Caro were just as much her children as they were Fate's, and Lutecia Alphine was an honorary member due to her close friendship with Vivio.

But to Nanoha, none of that mattered now. She'd been called in on a mission gone wrong, and all she needed to know was that one of her kids was in danger. Thankfully the squad that had been sent in prior to the actual loss of control had handled the criminals themselves, so all she had to do was make her way to the last room, a double reinforced steel door that could have withstood fire itself.

Nanoha wasn't in the mood to use fire. Feeling a prick at her mind, she frowned. _Yes?_

_We have the code for the door, Takamachi. Punch in the numbers I give you and it'll open._

Nanoha didn't recognize the voice, but she knew it wasn't anyone she would meet walking around the TSAB in broad daylight and ground her teeth together. _It would be faster if I used Raising Heart._

_Takamachi, the child in there is scared out of her mind. I can't promise you that she wouldn't attack you if you used force to get in._

_I've known her for years! She would never—_

_Trust me on this one._ The owner of the voice laughed softly. _When you've killed the first time, your whole perspective is out of whack. Just do what I tell you._

Something in the tone warned Nanoha against saying anything, even though the retort was burning at the tip of her tongue; only strong willpower and worry for the girl on the other side of the door kept her silent as she keyed in the code, sighing softly with relief as the door slid open without complaint.

She stepped into a battlefield.

Nanoha knew very little about the scientist who lay against the wall, except for two things: one, he'd been doing something illegal that had required the presence of the NSIS, and two, he was very dead judging from the large pool of blood drying beneath his body. His Intelligence Device lay in his limp fingers, his eyes dull and staring ahead at nothing; his throat had been ripped out, a bloody hole driven clear through his chest into his back.

The whole room was stained with blood, but Nanoha fought to ignore it—and immediately forgot all about it when she saw her target.

Her heart plummeted to her feet even as she started walking. "Lutecia-chan."

From where he knelt protectively over his young mistress, Garyuu's head snapped up at the sound of Nanoha's voice, but he slowly relaxed when he recognized the approaching mage. His arm was stained with blood, indicating that even though Lutecia had been fighting, she hadn't summoned her familiar until the very end, in a moment of panic and fearing for her own life, to finish the job.

"You did well, Garyuu," Nanoha whispered, kneeling beside him to look at Lutecia. "You did very well." He rumbled quietly in reply and stepped back, giving the pair much needed space.

Lutecia was in considerably bad shape compared to her familiar; curled up into the tightest ball possible, her face buried against her knees, she had her good arm wrapped around her legs, hugging them to her chest. Her left arm dangled uselessly at her side, and Nanoha wondered sickly if it had been broken in the resulting struggle when she'd been sent to apprehend the scientist she'd ultimately killed. "Lutecia-chan," she said, and reached out. "It's me. It's Nanoha."

The moment her fingers brushed the girl's hair, Lutecia stiffened and slowly looked up, trembling beneath Nanoha's hand. Looking at her face, something inside Nanoha ached; the girl was pale, her left cheek slashed deeply and her right eye closed to keep blood out as it dripped from a cut on her forehead. She shifted slightly, moving her right hand to cradle her ribs, and Nanoha wondered if they were broken. Her eyes were dull, staring ahead at nothing, and Nanoha felt a surge of fear. "Lutecia-chan," she said again, and gently touched the girl's shoulder. "Lutecia-chan, do you hear me? Can you see me at all?"

Lutecia blinked once, twice; her eyes slowly cleared and regained their glow. She looked at Nanoha's face numbly for a moment, seeming unable to comprehend her existence, before her whole face seemed to crumble. "He's dead." Her voice was dull. "He's dead, isn't he."

It was a statement, not a question. Nanoha bit her lip as Lutecia bowed her head, whimpering softly.

"Come on." Moving slowly so as not to aggravate her wounds, Nanoha lifted the Belkan summoner into her arms, amazed at how light she was at thirteen years old. "Let's get you out of here, Lutecia-chan. Vivio and Fate-chan are worried sick, and Megane-san has been asking about you since we left."

Nodding, Lutecia rested her head against Nanoha's shoulder and closed her eyes, hearing Garyuu trail the older woman like a loyal dog. Shifting carefully so as not to irritate her broken arm, which had been lain across her stomach as she was carried, her right hand came up and tightly gripped Nanoha's uniform.

She only looked up once, to see the man she'd killed as they left the room, looking at him quietly without any emotion before she buried her face into Nanoha's neck, her shivers starting over anew.

It wasn't until they'd gotten her into the helicopter that she began to cry.

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"By all accounts, it was a killing out of self-defense." The lieutenant carefully re-read the report to make sure his details were accurate. "They were engaged in combat, he out-ranked her and had her cornered, badly injured. She panicked, summoned her familiar, and it ended there." He flipped the page down and looked at Chrono.

"No one will ever suspect that we sent her to kill him. She doesn't even know it herself; we only told her to subdue him until the older members came to finish the job." He hesitated and put the report down on the desk, clearing his throat.

"… For her first mission, she did quite well."

Chrono gazed at the report in front of him, at the picture of Lutecia that had been clipped to it. He remembered how she'd looked when she'd been taken off the helicopter and whisked away to Medical—pale faced, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks streaked with tears.

He remembered how calmly she'd accepted her mother's concerns, her genuine happiness over seeing Agito, Caro, Erio, and Vivio, how thrilled she'd been when the Numbers had stopped by to visit her.

He knew that she hadn't told anyone the truth of what she'd done.

He knew she didn't intend to.

"… Yes." He didn't even read the report. "Yes, she did… much better than I expected."

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My first attempt at a short focused on Lutecia's work as a Shadow... or, more specifically, her first kill. Written with the premise that Nanoha was simply sent in to rescue Lutecia on a mission gone wrong, and didn't actually know what was happening.

...

Suddenly, I'm immensely glad that my only ongoing fics on this site are for Sailor Moon.


	8. Burning Glory

Disclaimer: No, I don't own MGLN. I wish I did, but I don't.

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"Shoot Barret!"

Vivio yelped and quickly whipped Burning Glory around, the dark blue orb flashing at the end of the black rod as she summoned suitable defense for Teana's signature attack. "Round Shield!" she cried, sighing slightly with relief as the protective shield harmlessly bounced away Teana's bullets.

"Five seconds, Tea!" Subaru called from the sidelines, enjoying herself as she watched her partner spar with their former mentor's daughter. Erio and Caro were watching the whole spectacle with detached amusement, while Lutecia looked torn between wanting to just watch and wanting to jump in and interfere with Asclepius. "What's the point of this again?" the purple-haired summoner asked, shifting uncomfortably as Vivio continued to maintain her Round Shield against Teana's assault.

"Vivio asked to do it." Subaru shrugged, leaning back on her elbows. "Said something about wanting to focus on her defenses, that she had a feeling that Burning Glory would surprise her. Heck if I know what that means. Tea! Two seconds!"

Teana cursed and aimed Cross Mirage, aiming for the younger girl. Normally she wouldn't have been so rough, but time limits always pushed her patience. Plus, Vivio had never liked being babied; for her age, or because of her status as the daughter of Takamachi Nanoha and Fate T. Harlaown.

On top of that, her money was riding on this, dammit. If she didn't hit Vivio's body at least once, she'd have to buy lunch. She sprang back, opening up some distance. "Cross Mirage?"

_**"Crossfire Shoot!"**_

The bullets rained down on Vivio, and seconds later the younger girl was encased in flames and smoke with a startled cry; Lutecia immediately jolted forward as the girl's Round Shield shattered beneath the force of the attack, Asclepius flashing. "Vivio!"

Teana landed, narrowing her eyes as the smoke cleared and feeling her heart sink. _Crap…_

Only to blink, stunned, by what she saw.

Shaking slightly, Vivio lowered the smoking revolver pistol, eyes wide as the wisps faded away to show that not even a scratch remained. Dark blue embroidery weaved its way along the muzzle and bottom of the black gun, with a six-chamber cylinder of the same color clicking softly into place.

Teana's jaw dropped slightly. Erio and Caro both stared as Subaru let out a low whistle of approval. Lutecia blinked, sighed, and settled back down, Asclepius calming at her command.

Vivio stared at the weapon with wide eyes before she blinked.

"Wait… who let Burning Glory watch gunfight movies?!"

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Gee, I _wonder_...

Yes, Burning Glory has a Revolver Form. No, I still haven't figured out what he looks like as a staff. Damn.


	9. Miranda

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

* * *

Lutecia Alphine was bored.

Completely, hopelessly bored.

"Er, Miranda, not that I don't appreciate the fact that you value my opinion on things…"

A flurry of movement and color, Miranda Creed leaned down, studying each ring with a profiency that would have made Fate T. Harlaown proud. "Yeah, Alphine?"

"But _please_ tell me… _why_ do you need me here to shop for gifts for your boyfriend's birthday?"

Miranda blinked and straightened up, looking at Lutecia curiously as long strands of black hair fell into her brown eyes. "Don't you have a boyfriend? I thought you did."

Lutecia sighed. "That was a _year_ ago," she corrected quietly, praying for patience as she dealt with her loving, if not sometimes air-headed, partner. "I went out with Janus when I was thirteen. I just turned fourteen."

Miranda blinked. "… You're growing up too fast for me, Alphine," she said with a laugh, pulling the girl into a one-armed hug. "It feels like I just got paired up with you."

"Miranda!" The younger girl yelped, squirming in her older companion's grasp—but at twenty years old, Miranda had the strength and experience to keep a tight grip on her younger, smaller partner. She groaned and went still. "Do you have to do that?" she whispered, blushing hotly. "People are staring."

"Ah, let 'em stare. They just wish they had a lil' sister as cute as you." Miranda released Lutecia with a laugh.

"I'm _not_ your sister—"

Lutecia went still as Miranda gently ruffled her hair, an affectionate, gentle gesture that conveyed more than words ever could; subtly, she relaxed beneath the older woman's touch with a tired sigh.

"I wanted you to come along 'cause you like my Kel, right? And I trust your judgment. It's saved my life plenty o' times in the past." Miranda smiled. "I know shopping isn't really your thing, but if you're good, I'll let you get a gift for your friend… what's her name? That girl you always talk about?"

Lutecia's eyes softened slightly. "Vivio," she murmured.

"Yeah, your Vivio. Anything you want, okay? Deal?"

Lutecia sighed and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, deal."

* * *

So we meet Miranda Creed, the woman who was Lutecia's partner, mentor, and best friend in the NSIS before her death (as mentioned by Lutecia in "Sunrise"). I have a one-shot planned around her that explains more about how she and Cia met and how she died.

Oh, and I changed my page breakers because for some reason, after years of using one thing they all got deleted. Nice.


	10. Excuses

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

* * *

Vivio Takamachi had always been in awe of Lutecia. The feeling was something she'd lived with for as long as she could remember, the usual worship of a younger girl to an older girl, one who seemed more experienced in life even if the age difference was only four years. As she'd grown older, the awe had shifted into something a little closer to reality, less of awe itself and more of respect and understanding as she learned that Lutecia was just as flawed as she was, if not more so in some respects.

Still, though, there were times when the summoner inspired nothing but absolute awe.

"Lutecia-chan, what was that you were just doing to Vivio's neck?"

Sitting beside Vivio, Lutecia blinked. She was doing absolutely nothing but meeting Nanoha's gaze; she wasn't even exuding an aura of innocence. Vivio lightly nuzzled Lutecia's shoulder with her cheek, amused, and watched the expressions change on both her mothers' faces, her arm still in its place around the shorter woman's waist.

After a moment, Lutecia blinked again. "I'm sorry, Nanoha-san, my eyes are still adjusting to the light. What did you see me doing?"

Vivio choked back a laugh. Lutecia's voice was just like her face: bland, emotionless, devoid of tone or emotion. Nanoha raised a brow. "Looked to me like you were nibbling her neck," the brunette mumbled. At her side, Fate hastily raised her hands in a defensive, 'leave me the hell out of this' gesture.

"Ah, yes, that." Lutecia shifted slightly as Vivio pulled her closer. "Well, actually, you see, that's a Shadow technique."

"… Technique."

"Mm-hmm. It's a discreet way of checking your partner's pulse on a mission to make sure they aren't panicking and going to blow your cover." Lutecia's voice stayed perfectly straight, her voice completely flat. "It works amazingly well, especially if you're disguised as a couple."

Interestingly, Nanoha had gone pale at the mention of pulse checking, while Fate had flushed the deepest shade of red Vivio had ever seen. She blinked. "Nanoha-mama? Fate-mama? What's wrong?" she asked.

"N-nothing." Still blushing, Fate grabbed Nanoha by the collar of her shirt. "Sorry to interrupt the movie, girls, I just remembered we have some, ah, reports to finish. Yeah. Reports. Bye."

With that, Fate hauled Nanoha through the door and slammed it shut, flicking off the light so the room was dark except for the glow of the television screen, the movie on pause. Lutecia raised a brow, glancing up at Vivio. "What did I say?" she whispered.

Grinning suddenly, Vivio giggled helplessly and dropped her forehead to Lutecia's shoulder, her body shaking with laughter. "Cia, I really love you," she gasped out between bouts of laughter.

"I love you too, but what does that have to do with what just happened?"

"When I was fourteen, I walked in on Fate-mama and Nanoha-mama getting a little… ahem… _heated_ before dinner. Fate-mama used the exact same excuse you just used!"

* * *

Those of you who know the order I posted these on AnimeSuki may notice I skipped the two shorts before this, but that was because they were directly related to Miranda's death and I plan to incoperate those scenes into one larger one-shot.


	11. Glasses

Disclaimer: I don't own Lutecia, Vivio, or glasses.

* * *

Vivio Takamachi stared.

Blinked and stared some more.

More amused by her girlfriend's stare than annoyed or confused, Lutecia Alphine glanced up from the book she was reading and raised a brow. "Something wrong, Vivio?" She shifted slightly to better lean back against the couch; the two were in the Takamachi-Harlaown household, currently alone since Nanoha and Fate were both at work.

Vivio shifted to match her girlfriend and leaned in. "You're wearing glasses."

Lutecia blinked, then laughed as her girlfriend gently ran her fingers along the rims, surprised and amused by the younger girl's fascination with her glasses. "Vi, I wear them all the time when I help you study for class."

The younger girl pouted and settled down so her chin rested against Lutecia's stomach, her arms loosely wrapped around the older woman's waist. "You always make me focus on the book when we're studying, so I never noticed before."

"Because if I _didn't_ you'd spend the whole time staring at me." Lutecia tapped Vivio lightly on the nose. "It's bad enough your mother thinks I'm going to corrupt your youthful innocence. I'd be on the receiving end of a Starlight Breaker if I caused your grades to drop, too."

"But I _like_ looking at you, Cia. You're prettier than the book."

Lutecia laughed again. "I'd hope so, otherwise I'd have no self-esteem." Realizing she wasn't going to get anymore reading done until Vivio had gotten this out of her system, the purple-haired summoner closed her book and rested it on the table nearby. "I don't see what's so fascinating about seeing me wear glasses."

Vivio shrugged and sat up, lifting a hand to play with Lutecia's glasses again. They weren't big or bulky like what she sometimes saw in comic books or manga, for humorous purposes; Lutecia's glasses were sleek and slim, and fit her perfectly. Vivio couldn't deny it if she tried; Lutecia was an attractive woman, and somehow seeing her wear glasses just added to the image she already had. "Hey, Cia, can I try something?"

"What kind of something?"

Vivio smirked. "The kind of something that might really, really make Nanoha-mama super protective if she walks in right now."

Lutecia raised a brow; her lips twitched. "I'll take that risk."

Delighted, Vivio laughed. "Close your eyes," she murmured, and with a slight smirk Lutecia obeyed, wondering just what it was her girlfriend had in mind. She felt Vivio's hand gently brush her cheek, pushing her glasses up into her hair.

Then, she felt Vivio kiss her.

It was soft, gentle contact, which surprised Lutecia a little; Vivio tended to be much more forward and aggressive when it came to this aspect of their relationship, but right now she almost seemed shy. It only lasted a few seconds before Vivio pulled away, and a few more seconds passed before her confidence seemed to grow and she leaned in again, one hand going to the back of Lutecia's neck while the other rested on her shoulder.

The second kiss was more of Vivio's style, still gentle but a little more demanding, a little deeper, requesting just a little more from Lutecia. While the summoner was still confused as to what had brought this on, she didn't complain and met Vivio's request for more with what she was willing to give, sighing quietly as Vivio pressed closer and lazily explored her mouth with her tongue.

After a moment or two, Vivio pulled away, inhaling deeply and blushing as she settled back in her original spot; for the kiss, she'd almost been straddling Lutecia. Opening her eyes, Lutecia blinked several times. Her brain still hazy, she blinked before lifting a hand, pulling the glasses out of her hair. "What was that for?" she asked softly.

Vivio grinned and shrugged, crawling back to her original position; cheek against Lutecia's stomach, arms around her waist. "I don't know, just felt like it. I wanted to try something out that I saw in a movie once."

"Ah…" Lutecia nodded slowly, absently bringing up a hand to stroke Vivio's hair, making the younger girl sigh in contentment and snuggle. "Vivio…"

"Hmm?"

"What kind of movie were you watching?"

Vivio just laughed.

* * *

In general I don't make it a habit of posting my drabbles out of order (this short is my most recent, actually, compared to the rest of the stuff I still need to post for this drabble dump), but my friend DezoPenguin was kind enough to once again write a NanoFate side request to this fic, and I wanted to post this so he could put it up in his drabble series as well. Thank you again, Dezo!


	12. Sunset

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN.

Author's Note: It should be noted that this is AU, taking place during "Sunrise"; however, in this version, the events of the third chapter never happen because Vivio didn't come back. So yeah, a little "What if" scenario here.

* * *

Amazingly, after Nanoha left and her tears had been shed, Lutecia fell asleep once again, a dreamless slumber that could have lasted for days if she'd been given the option. A part of the summoner wondered if she was truly more tired than she claimed to be, or if the sandman of fairytales had developed an annoying habit of haunting her in her waking moments.

She might have been spending more time sleeping than usual, but nothing changed the fact that even when she slept like the dead the sound of a needle hitting the floor could wake her faster than any magical blast. The gentle prick at the edge of her conscience stirred her, and she sighed, rubbing her eyes. _I'm listening,_ she said, switching over to mental speak without even thinking about it.

_It's about your case with the cartel._ The voice of Admiral Harlaown's secretary was one Lutecia was familiar with, clipped and to the point. _He made a move and got our attention. The Admiral has called a meeting with everyone who was involved with the case up until this point. Are you free?_

Lutecia glanced towards the door and was stunned by the violent, aching wish that Vivio would walk through at that moment. _Yes. Tell the Admiral I'll be there in ten minutes._

_Good of you, Agent Alphine. _The secretary sighed_. The way your team leader messed up, we'll need all the help we can get._

_Yes ma'am._

* * *

The meeting and consulting room of the Naval Special Intelligence Service was a big room, and always dimmer than the rest of the building. It was one of those odd things that had bothered Lutecia for as long as she could remember, but she'd never tried to ask about it. Reclining in a chair with her teammates as Chrono outlined the situation to them, she knew now wouldn't be a good time.

"The drug lord was already starting to lay low before the mission failed," he explained, carefully scanning the reports he'd been given before entering the room; never mind the fact that he already had them memorized. "What happened definitely put up his warning flags, but he's been stocking up a nice little hiding place for awhile now. Our other team finally tracked down his whereabouts at the same time our bodyguard put a gun to his head."

Chrono laid the report out on the table, and the other Shadows quietly leaned in closer to study the information. "He's out on the cliffs," the dark-haired man continued. "Far away from the city to avoid unnecessary contact, but close enough to have some fun or do business if he so chooses. Increased his guard count, but nothing the lot of you shouldn't be able to handle." He absently drummed his fingertips against the table. "Underneath that house is one of the drug labs. I want the team split three ways: some of you handle the guards, some of you get samples from the lab, and I need a loner to go after the drug lord."

"Dead or alive, sir?"

"Dead." Chrono didn't even hesitate. "He's too much trouble to keep alive. He has contacts in the underworld that could make our jobs a lot harder, and he's stubborn enough to keep quiet even if we put pressure on him."

A moment of silence passed as the agents looked at each other, silently deducting in their heads who would be suitable for what job. Chrono watched, pleased, as the team separated itself into the necessary groups.

He wasn't so pleased when he realized that by unanimous agreement Lutecia had been chosen to kill the drug lord. He could understand the logic of it; Lutecia was by far one of the best in the field, able to keep herself cool and composed under fire, able to slip in and out silently like a shadow.

How much of her ability, though, would be compromised by her current situation?

Chrono knew it wasn't his place to say anything; other than giving orders, he largely left the Shadows to their own devices, trusting their judgment and faith in each other to get the mission complete. But he was worried about Lutecia. Something about her posture, the look in her eyes, was different from how it'd been before. When she'd been informed that she'd be the loner, she'd accepted the news with a quick nod, keeping silent the whole time.

It wasn't like her to be so quiet, so apparently uninterested in the situation, especially given her emotional attachment to the three children. As the team began to file out, Chrono stayed where he was. "Agent Alphine," he said. "A moment of your time."

Lutecia hesitated, already half rising, but after a moment she sat back down. Like Chrono, she waited until the last agent had left the room, closing the door in her wake, before she spoke. "Yes, sir?"

Chrono studied her face carefully. He couldn't read her at all; her face and eyes were quietly blank, as though she was contemplating something and hadn't found a suitable answer for it. Whatever thoughts had been plaguing her between the summons and reaching headquarters, she seemed to have settled at least a little, but not in a way he liked seeing. "Are you feeling well?" he asked. "I can assign someone else to do the job."

"I'm fine, sir. Really. I'll get the job done."

Normally such a statement would have been accompanied by some sort of smile or shrug. Lutecia didn't do either. She waited a moment, but it became obvious that Chrono had nothing else to say, and finally she rose, heading for the door.

As her fingers closed on the knob, she paused. "Sir?"

"Yes, Alphine?"

"I feel… numb. Just… really empty. Is that a good thing?"

Chrono paused.

"… I suppose it depends on the situation, Alphine."

Lutecia nodded, then opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

She contemplated it for a long time; this odd, strange feeling of nothing. Even the aching pain in her chest had faded away to something dull and easy to ignore, she mused quietly to herself as she slipped out from behind her teammates as they handled the guards, streaking across the grass into the half-open door of the vacation house.

Lutecia had forgotten the feeling of it, really; the feeling that nothing she did, nothing that could happen to her, would make her feel anything at all. It had settled in sometime after getting the summon from Chrono's secretary, and she couldn't shake the feeling.

She'd given up trying.

Moving fluidly through the hall, light on her feet, Lutecia skirted a butler and a maid who were otherwise occupied and easily crept down the hall, using the silver moonlight as her guiding light, keeping in the darkness as she followed it so no one would see her. She recognized the door to the drug lord's bedroom easily by the intricate door knob, and after several minutes of listening through the door she cautiously eased it open.

"Who is it?"

Lutecia immediately pressed back against the wall, moving sideways like a crab as his voice reached her. The room was completely bathed in darkness, the blinds of the windows pulled tightly shut. As her eyes adjusted to the black she could make out his figure, sitting up in bed, tense and straight as a board. He was looking around frantically, something gripped tightly in his hand, but Lutecia knew he couldn't see her. He wasn't used to the darkness like she was.

"I know you're there! I heard the door open!" His voice was shrill, almost like a shriek, and even from the distance Lutecia could see he was trembling. This was the point where she'd feel disgust at herself, perhaps even pity for her victim; but seeing him now, she couldn't even summon amusement at his obvious cowardice.

She heard something metal rattling in his hand, and it occurred to her that he probably had a weapon; some low-design Intelligent Device, or perhaps a knife or gun. She discovered she didn't really care as she wordlessly summoned the small, egg-shaped portal into her hands that would allow Garyuu to enter.

The drug lord scrambled off his bed, catching his foot in the tangle of sheets, and fell to the ground with a dull thud; his breathing ragged, he scrambled to rise, to reach for the blinds and open his room to the moon.

Lowering her body to the ground, Lutecia struck.

He saw her as a sliver of moonlight lit his room, and he screamed wildly, swinging his hand around as Garyuu bore down on him.

There were several brilliant flashes of red and yellow light; Lutecia waited, heard the thud of his body hitting the floor, saw his outline. Never one to leave things to chance, she gingerly stepped around his feet and opened the blinds, letting moonlight spill into the room.

He lay on his back, his face forever frozen in shock and horror, blood oozing from the slash on his throat. In the limp fingers of his hand was a gun, the tip still smoking slightly from when he'd fired it. Lutecia gazed down at his body, waited to feel the grief, the anger, the guilt, _something_—but nothing came.

The emptiness almost felt worse. The ache in her chest didn't fade for a minute.

Feeling her stomach begin to sting, Lutecia switched over to telepathic speaking. _This is Alphine_, she stated. _I've killed the drug lord._

_Knew we could count on you, kid._ Her fellow Shadow's voice was full of pride and approval. _The guards are down, and Rankan and his team are heading out with the samples the Admiral wants. You want us to come get you, or should we wait for you?_

Lutecia smiled slightly, tiredly, and closed her eyes as she lifted a hand to her stomach, felt the warm blood seep through her fingers and drip to the floor. _Neither,_ she murmured. _I'm going to take a little walk_.

_A… walk?_

Yes. A walk. Don't come after me.

* * *

Chrono listened to the report quietly, not saying a word as his secretary finished relaying the news she'd been given from the team he'd sent. After a moment, he lifted his eyes. "The mission was a success."

"Yes, sir." She met his gaze evenly. "The drug lord was killed quickly and quietly, and we have samples of the drug he was developing."

"And all agents are present and accounted for?"

There it was: she flinched slightly, seemed to hesitate. "Well, ah, actually…"

Chrono waited.

She deflated slightly under his patient gaze. "Agent Alphine left the scene alone," she said softly. "No one's been able to track her down, and she gave orders to not be followed. She…" The secretary swallowed hard here. "From the scene, it looks like she was bleeding quite a bit, possibly suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Several agents who were close to the area at the time confirm hearing gunfire."

Chrono felt a slow, horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach; he rose. "It's been some time since Alphine gave that order," he said. "I'll go find her."

The secretary blinked, surprised. "You know where she'd seek medical treatment, sir?"

Images of Lutecia passed through his head. Lutecia at thirteen, accepting her first Shadow mission. Lutecia talking with Erio, happily joking with Caro, loving, always loving to Megane and adoring Genya equally for making her mother happy. Lutecia at seventeen, dazed and slightly blushing, when she nervously told him Vivio had asked her to kiss her. Lutecia at nineteen, happy and frightened at the same time when she and Vivio had started dating.

Lutecia after the mission had gone wrong, desperate to reach the house and find out what had happened. The shattered, helpless look in her eyes when she'd witnessed the corpses of the children she'd joked with and cuddled while her team leader handled their father.

Chrono turned away, closing his eyes.

"No," he said softly. "I don't know where she'd seek medical treatment. But I know where she'd go for comfort."

* * *

He found her by the grave of Zest Grangaitz. Most people would have assumed she'd seek out the graves of the family that had died, or perhaps the grave of her dead partner; but in the end, in her last moments, she'd sought out the grave of the only father she'd ever known.

She was propped up against the tombstone, head bowed and her hands in her lap. She looked like she was sleeping, Chrono thought, and swallowed hard, gently kneeling beside her, brushing loose strands of purple hair back out of her face. She looked so calm, so peaceful. Even as he saw the four gunshot wounds in her stomach, saw the blood in the grass around her, he still pressed his fingers to her throat, checking for a pulse.

He felt nothing.

Chrono closed his eyes for a moment, sighed heavily. Gathering himself, he leaned down and gently gathered Lutecia into his arms, slowly standing.

She still felt warm, he thought. There was still some color in her face, as if she'd open her eyes at any moment.

_"I feel… numb. Just… really empty. Is that a good thing?"_

Shaking his head, Chrono cradled Lutecia close and carried her out of the cemetery, comforting himself with the knowledge that she'd died by Zest's side.

* * *

He ordered his secretary to deal with breaking the news to Megane, which was probably cruel; Megane was next of kin, Lutecia's mother, and she deserved to hear the news from the man who had partially orchestrated her entrance into the NSIS. But he knew the worst was yet to come, and after giving the crew a strict order to treat Lutecia's body with care, he left for the Harlaown-Takamachi household.

He didn't even have the energy to be surprised or amused when he saw Hayate's car in the driveway, and took a moment to gather himself before knocking on the door. He was greeted by Fate's eyes, the amusement turning into curiosity. "Onii-chan," she said, and opened the door wider to let him come in. "What are you doing here? You usually call."

"Something came up." Chrono was dreading this. Dreading it in so, so many ways. "Is Vivio around?"

"She's upstairs talking to Corona and Lio." Something in his tone, his eyes, set off warning bells in Fate's head, and she touched his arm. "Chrono, did something happen?"

"Something," he murmured, and stepped into the living room. Nanoha and Hayate, stationed on the couch, both looked up at his entrance; Hayate grinned cheerfully while Nanoha gave him a curt nod. "Chrono-kun, what a surprise!" Hayate exclaimed, her eyes dancing. "I didn't expect you to come crawling so easily!"

"I'm crawling, but it isn't for me." Chrono returned Nanoha's nod before he sat down on the couch, lowering his eyes for a moment. The brunette immediately saw Fate's agitation and realized something was wrong, her eyes snapping around to focus on her brother-in-law.

"Chrono, why does Fate-chan look so worried?"

Chrono closed his eyes. He shouldn't be the one doing this, he thought. He was too close, too attached, he cared too damn much. Maybe he should ask for them to bring down Vivio, get it all done in one clean sweep. Maybe—

"Chrono-kun?"

Hayate's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes, slowly lifting his head. Finally, he sighed. "Fate," he whispered, "you might want to be ready to call Erio and Caro."

"Why?" As Fate stiffened Nanoha gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

_Get it out. Once you say it, it'll be easier_.

"She's dead." Cursing himself and his fumbling as his confession only brought confused looks, Chrono tried again. "Lutecia is dead," he repeated. "She was on a mission to take down the drug lord and sustained four gunshot wounds to the stomach. She walked away instead of receiving medical treatment. I…" He swallowed. "I found her by Zest's grave."

There was a moment of stunned silence; Chrono watched the blood drain out of Nanoha's face, watched Fate's eyes go wide and wet, saw the way Hayate lowered her head helplessly with a groan.

"You're lying." Nanoha's voice trembled. "Lutecia can't be—she isn't dead. I was just with her! She was fine when I left her apartment!"

"She was called in to complete the mission not long after you spoke with her." Chrono resisted the urge to rub his temples. "I found her after everything was said and done."

"Gunshot wounds are treatable." Nanoha shook her head violently. "Even if it was more than one shot, they're treatable here!"

"She didn't seek treatment, Nanoha," Chrono said wearily. "She just walked away. Completed her objective and told her team she was taking a walk, and for them to not come after her. She bled to death at Zest's grave."

"Suicide." Hayate's voice was weak. "You're saying she committed suicide."

"I don't know what she did," Chrono muttered. "It can go either way, Hayate, you know that." Because it was a lie, he closed his eyes.

"I don't know what was going through her head on that mission. I knew she was upset, and hurt, and she was keeping it inside to complete her job. She said she felt numb." Chrono stared at his hands. "She said she felt empty, and she asked me if that was a good thing. If I'd known that by the end of it she'd choose to bleed do death by a grave I would have never—"

A crash from the hallway made the adults look up, and suddenly Chrono wished he could disappear into oblivion.

Vivio stood in the hallway, a broken glass laying at her feet, her face pale and her eyes wide and haunted. Chrono only had to look into her eyes, see the shattered disbelief in them, to know she'd heard enough. "Vivio," he said weakly, rising. "Vivio, it isn't—"

She backed up a step, shaking her head; as tears spilled from her eyes she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. A choked sob broke free and she whirled around, racing out of the house.

"Vivio!" Nanoha was up in an instant and after her daughter. "Vivio, hold on! Vivio!"

Chrono simply watched helplessly. On the couch Fate rested her head against Hayate's shoulder and wept, silent sobs, as the brown-haired woman groaned again.

"Dammit," she whispered hoarsely and lifted her eyes to meet Chrono's, and in that moment he saw all his helplessness, all his despair, reflected in her gaze. "Dammit, Chrono-kun."

Because he had nothing to say to that, Chrono simply nodded and closed his eyes.

* * *

... Angst!

Anyway, recently it's come to my attention that I need to say something. Now, before I do, please keep in mind that I mean no offense by what I say; I am immensely grateful for the amount of support and help I've received for my ViCia pairing, and I know that it never would have lasted this long or developed the way it did if not for all of you who read it and enjoy it. Many of you may be familiar with the whole bashing fiasco that happened with Satashi a little while ago, and recently I learned that my ViCia series has been used against F91 in regards to his Vivio/Yuuno series. Now, again, please keep in mind that I am not trying to be insulting to anyone; I like the fact that my series is so loved, and I like that people can compare it to other pairings to see how it holds up. I draw the line, however, as using it for a bashing weapon simply because you don't like the pairing someone else has written. Not only is it cruel and unfair to the person in question (F91, in this case), but it also leaves me feeling violated, as if my series has been taken completely out of context and twisted into something dirty and mean, something I'm almost ashamed of. And personally, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when something I've devoted a lot of time and energy into developing makes me feel ashamed because of how it's being used in the fandom.

I'm not going to say anyone should stop; in the end, that opens me up for bashing myself, and everyone has the right to express their opinions in such a way. I'm simply going on record to say that, for me, the fact that my series has been used against a friend of mine is deeply hurtful and makes me feel like the lowest piece of shit on Earth. That's all.


	13. Broken

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN, Vivio, or Lutecia.

Author's Note: Follow-up to "Sunset", more focused on Vivio's reaction to Lutecia's death. I don't plan to touch this AU again, so yeah.

* * *

"_Innocence is lost,  
And hopes are shattered."_

-Faith Hill

* * *

"Vivio! Vivio, hold on! Vivio!"

Even as Nanoha shot up and after her daughter, she knew it was a lost cause; in the seconds it had taken the Ace of Aces to get to her feet, Vivio had already streaked through the hallway and out the door, leaving it open in the wake of her mad dash to get out of the house.

Not that Nanoha could blame her. The girl had just heard the one thing every person feared more than death; the loss of her significant other, her first love. And she'd heard about it in the worst possible way; it could only be by chance that Vivio had been coming downstairs to get a drink when Chrono had broken the news of Lutecia's death.

Death was shattering, no matter how it happened, but the situation surrounding Lutecia's death had been even worse, in some ways. Lutecia hadn't been cut down in battle; she hadn't died valiantly defending her beliefs or protecting the lives of others. Lutecia had died after successfully completing her mission, sustaining several injuries, and instead of seeking treatment, she'd chosen to bleed to death beside the grave of Zest Grangaitz after having her emotional network blown clean out from under her and suffering a work-related breakdown. Even if no one said it outright, Nanoha knew Lutecia had chosen to die.

She could just as easily guess what had driven Lutecia to her death, but right now wasn't the time for guilt or self-pity.

Screeching to a halt, Nanoha quickly scanned the front yard, seeing no sign of her daughter. Something in her chest tightened painfully. When the hell had Vivio become so damn _fast_?

"Raising Heart, Area Search."

Several seconds passed before Raising Heart gave a soft beep. _**"Vivio is in the backyard, my master."**_

At that, Nanoha blinked. The backyard? Of all the places Nanoha had expected Vivio to run to, why had she gone to the backyard? She'd run a full circle just to do that—

Wait. The backyard. In the backyard, under the tree. That was where Lutecia and Vivio had kissed for the first time, and that was where they'd confessed…

_Dammit, why didn't I think of that sooner?_

"Thanks, Raising Heart." Abruptly Nanoha changed directions, heading for the gate. It hadn't been opened from the outside, indicating that Vivio must have climbed the fence to get to the other side. Why she'd chosen to climb when she could just as easily open the gate was a mystery, but then, Vivio wasn't thinking clearly at this point. Nanoha hesitated only a moment before she undid the latch and pushed the gate open, slowly stepping into the yard. "Vivio?" she called softly.

Nanoha saw her instantly; Vivio sat huddled beneath the tree, quietly staring at the ground. The grief, the anguish, had drained out of her to leave an empty blankness, as if she was in shock. Slowly, timidly, Nanoha approached her daughter and saw her hands. "Your hands are all scratched up," she whispered.

Vivio shrugged. "I slipped. I wasn't ready to catch myself. Whenever I climbed anything, Cia would…" Her breath caught here, and she shuddered. "Cia would grab me before I'd fall."

Nanoha said nothing; after a moment, she swallowed hard. "Vivio—"

"How did she die?"

Vivio's voice was soft, dull; her eyes, her face, stayed empty, blank, completely devoid of any emotion. Nanoha didn't even hesitate. "That isn't—"

"Mama, how did Cia die?" Vivio closed her eyes. "I didn't hear that part. I kind of shut down after Uncle Chrono said she was dead."

Nanoha hesitated this time, timidly took a few steps closer. When Vivio didn't stir, she cleared her throat. While she was relieved to see Vivio hadn't completely broken down, her emotionless expression almost seemed worse. "She bled to death," she said at last. "She… the NSIS called her back in to complete her mission, and she sustained injury while taking down the suspect. Chrono found her by Zest's grave."

Vivio nodded slowly; she blew out a long breath, pulled her legs up to her chest, and rested her forehead against her knees. As she began to tremble and tears streaked down her cheeks, Nanoha felt something inside her chest shatter into a thousand pieces, and she stepped closer, reaching for the girl.

"Don't."

Vivio's voice stopped Nanoha in her tracks; the older woman froze, a confused expression on her face. "Vivio?"

"Don't touch me." Vivio took a deep, ragged breath. "Just… go back inside or something. Please."

For the first time, Nanoha felt as if there was a barrier separating her from Vivio; she felt that even if she tried, she'd never be able to reach her daughter. Despite herself, though, she said softly, "I just… I want to help."

At that, Vivio laughed bitterly and lifted her head. Her face was pale and tears gleamed in her eyes, fell down her cheeks; her gaze was broken, shattered, and so anguished that Nanoha took a step back. "How can you possibly help me?" she whispered hoarsely. "You were strong enough to _save_ the person you loved."

The words were stronger than any magical attack, more painful than a slap to the face; even as the shock and hurt came onto Nanoha's face, Vivio dropped her forehead to her knees again. "Just go away," she murmured. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Nanoha hesitated; she opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. Her hands curled tightly into fists, only to relax without the physical threat of an enemy. After a moment, she turned and began to walk away, feeling her heart break with every step she took.

Behind her, Vivio collapsed into anguished sobs.

"Cia… _Cia_…"

* * *

Yeah.... Vivio isn't exactly logical right now, and I always figured the worst way to hurt Nanoha was to have someone she loved reject her urge to help them.

Read and review, please!


	14. Gentle Shadow

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual.

* * *

_ "They say that a hero can save us."_

-Nickelback

* * *

"Jeez, it's hot out there." Sliding the door shut in her wake to keep the air-conditioning from leaking outside, Lutecia took a sip of her cherry Coke before easily crossing the floor, leaning over Caro's shoulder curiously. "What are you reading so intently?"

Lutecia's voice, how close she was, made Caro yelp; Lutecia stepped back and watched, amused, as her best friend nearly went through the roof. "Lu-chan!" she gasped out, tightly hugging the Mid-Childan newspaper to her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry." The purple-haired summoner shrugged, gulping another mouthful of Coke. She held the bottle in her left hand, a change from her usual right, and Caro noticed immediately.

"Did something happen to your arm, Lu-chan? You haven't used it at all today."

Lutecia nodded, absently placing the bottle on the counter. "Got a little slashed up on my latest mission," she admitted with a smirk, checking to make sure the bandages that covered her upper right arm and shoulder weren't peeking out from her clothes; Vivio would have a fit if she saw them, especially since blood was beginning to seep through. "What story are you looking at?"

"Oh, you know, the death of that politician." Because Lutecia had reminded her of it, Caro forgot about her friend's injured arm and went back to scanning the story. "Fate-san and Tea are looking into it, since they're Enforcers."

"Hmm." Lutecia picked up her bottle again, took another sip.

"It's weird, though. There's no definite evidence of who did it; it looks like he was driving along with his two-year-old son and lost control of the car. They can't find any foul play. It's driving Fate-san insane."

"You don't say. I thought he was corrupt."

"He _is_, or he was, anyway, no doubt about it. Leaking info, taking bribes…" Caro quickly read over the list of his crimes. "Letting criminals go for payment, promoting the use of dark magic…"

"So why is Fate-san being asked to look into it?"

"You know, normal stuff." Caro laid the paper down. "Family's in an uproar, wanted the TSAB to look into it. Half the mages are glad to see him gone, but you know how Fate-san is."

"Indeed."

Caro frowned thoughtfully, tapping her finger against the paper. "You know the weird thing, Lu-chan?"

"No, what?"

"The crash should have killed his son, too. It's something else they can't figure out. The car rolled, fell off the freeway, and burst into flames. The politician dies, but somehow the kid was pulled from the car and taken to the hospital with only minor cuts and bruises." Caro shook her head. "No one can figure it out, especially since…"

"Since what?"

"Well, in order for someone to save the boy, they'd have to have been in close contact with the car while it was in the air. And to do that, to pull him out, their arm would have been a mess; all scratched up and bloody, burned. Possible scarring, if it isn't treated right." Caro sighed. "I don't get it. Who would make sure the politician was killed, and then go through the trouble of saving his son?"

Lutecia shrugged again and switched hands, not even grimacing as her right arm throbbed and screamed in protest as she brought the cherry Coke bottle to her lips again. "I wouldn't know, Caro," she murmured.

* * *

"_He kill them with they love. That's how it is everyday, all over the world."_

-John Coffey

* * *

And now for a short omake, which is not mine. DezoPenguin posted it as a response to this short when I first put it up on AnimeSuki, and I have his permission to post it here in correlation with the drabble. I love it to pieces, myself.

* * *

"Damn it, Alphine, I swear I see you twice as often as anyone else in this unit," Dr. Bonneville swore, scratching the back of his neck.

Lutecia shrugged.

"I suppose it's because I get assigned to high-risk missions more often. Highly ranked mages with the Shadow mindset are--"

"Nice try, girl. I know how you got that arm turned into Swiss cheese."

"Then why are you complaining? The target was successfully extracted and the mission was a success."

"Because you keep putting yourself at risk! I can't even use healing magic to heal all of the wounds now because you have to let the muscle and tendon structures fully regenerate or else there'll be permanent damage. Damn field staff have _no_ appreciation for my work..." he finished up, grumbling.

"My target was the politician. I didn't feel it wise to exceed the mission mandate, for fear of having the Oversight Subcommittee breathing down our necks. It's election season, after all, and allegations of government corruption are always fodder for legislative paper-pushers."

Bonneville adjusted the bandages around her arm.

"And that's why you saved the kid?" he said, clearly not believing a word of it.

"That's what it'll say in my report."


	15. Sinners and Saints

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All I own is Victor.

* * *

"Hey, Alphine."

Lutecia absently sipped her cup of black coffee and dearly wished it was cherry Coke, only paying half an ear to her companion; she'd been on nightly stake-outs with Victor Stormhawk before, and knew him well enough to not even give him the time of day. "What, Storm?" she muttered, keeping her eyes on the building they were watching while their teammates scouted things from a farther distance.

"You're dating Takamachi's kid, right? The replica of the Sankt Kaiser?"

"What about it?" Lutecia hadn't even bothered hiding her relationship with Vivio from her fellow Shadows; the girl was too well-known for it to be kept quiet that she was involved.

"Well… isn't that a sin?"

Lutecia choked on her coffee. She coughed and cleared her throat, shuddering, as Victor winced by her side. "Sorry," he muttered. "Bad timing. I was just curious about it."

Another cough. "I don't follow."

"She's a holy figure, right? Kind of like, I dunno, an angel or something. So isn't she supposed to be all pure and untouched and stuff?"

Lutecia, who had finally cleared her throat and taken another sip of coffee to gather her nerves, choked again, the blush coming hard and fast as she understood exactly what Victor was asking. "Dammit, Storm," she wheezed out. "She just turned seventeen. She won't be legal for another year. Her mother would kill me if I laid a hand on her right now, not to mention the Admiral."

Victor blinked. "So… you _aren't_ having sex with her?"

"NO!"

"But you've been dating her since she was fifteen?"

"Yes! It's been two years!"

Victor blinked again. After a moment, he sighed and patted Lutecia on the shoulder sympathetically. "I get it now, Alphine," he sighed out. "I really get it now."

"Get what?" she muttered warily.

"Why you're always so focused on the missions. I mean damn, it's unnatural. Guess you need something to distract you, especially with the way Takamachi has—"

"Storm, I swear if you finish that sentence I'll kill you."

Victor smiled easily, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "Alphine, you've said that to me a million times."

Lutecia glared. "With _your_ hand."

Victor paled and immediately pulled his hand from her shoulder. "Sorry," he muttered.

Lutecia sighed and rested her forehead against the steering wheel. "Damn right you are," she muttered.

* * *

And so we have the official introduction of Victor "Storm" Stormhawk, Lutecia's on-again, off-again partner in the NSIS. Needed to get this up since he plays a pretty big role in the next chapter of "Long Distance Goodbye".


	16. Defining Sin

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"Uh… Vivio, can I ask you a weird question?"

Lying on her back studying the sky after a training session, Vivio tilted her head slightly to look at Lutecia. "Sure."

"It's… really weird."

Vivio laughed softly. "Nanoha-mama isn't standing nearby with Raising Heart on ready, Cia."

Lutecia nodded slowly and decided to just spit it out; doing it quickly would make it less painful, right?

_Damn you, Storm, for actually putting the thought in my head!_

"You're held in high regards by the Church, right? Being the replica of the Sankt Kaiser and everything."

Vivio smiled sheepishly. "Much to my everlasting annoyance, yeah."

Lutecia nodded again. Hell, how was she supposed to _ask _this? "So would the Church get angry if you sinned?" she asked weakly.

Vivio blinked, sitting up to look down at her girlfriend. "Sinned?"

"I mean, if you ever… uh… slept with someone, would that be considered a sin? Since you'd be… ah… tainted." _Smooth, Alphine. Real smooth._

Vivio blinked again before the understanding dawned on her. "Cia, are you afraid of the Church?"

"Possibly. Maybe." Lutecia wilted. "I don't want a bunch of nuns coming after me because I corrupted Her Majesty, all right? Even if you want it, how am I supposed to—"

The rest of Lutecia's question was morphed into a muffled murmur as Vivio leaned down, kissing her in a way that threatened to make her brain leak out of her ears. It was slow and sensual, leaving Lutecia with no choice but to respond as Vivio's tongue lazily explored her mouth.

It didn't help matters that Vivio was leaning over her, gently pressing her down into the grass; Lutecia was hyperaware of the prick of the blades against her back and could have cared less.

After several minutes, satisfied, Vivio pulled back. Dazed, Lutecia opened her eyes. "Vivio?" she whimpered.

"Think of it this way, Cia." To please herself Vivio slid down, pressing against Lutecia and resting her cheek against the older woman's shoulder. "It won't be considered a sin because I _want _to be tainted." She shot the older woman a smile that was positively wicked. "Especially if you'll be the one doing the tainting."

Lutecia gulped. Hard.

_One more year, _she reminded herself desperately. _One more year to go._

Quite suddenly, she wasn't so afraid of nuns anymore.

* * *

Companion piece to "Sinners and Saints", inspired by a comment my friend Fuyu no Sora made in regards to Vivio. Mainly, that if Lutecia was the one doing the corrupting, she couldn't see Vivio being against it at all.


	17. Chill

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Breaking my usual pattern; this is my most recent drabble posted to AS, but I decided to throw it up into here now because it's linked to "Sunset" and "Broken". Also, the main character of Syn's _false light _appears in this short, though this wasn't the first piece I wrote for her.

_

* * *

_

_"Someday, somehow  
I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now  
I know you're wondering when."_

-Nickelback

* * *

Vivio Takamachi was never used to entering the building that housed the NSIS. It was a strange, bitter kind of irony, really; she had signed up to become a Shadow when she'd been seventeen and hadn't looked back, but she could never fully suppress the chill that passed down her spine every time she walked through the doors. Rubbing her arms briefly, she glanced back outside and frowned, wondering if this time she could blame her goosebumps on the weather.

"Yo, Takamachi, you're late." The honey blonde yelped as she was slapped on the back and a folder was shoved into her hands. "Boss Lady's already got a case for us."

"Victor." Vivio's voice was breathless from shock; even after two years of Shadow service, she was never used to how soundlessly the man could sneak up on her. "You startled me."

The man smiled easily. "Eh, sorry, kid. Hard habit to break. Anyway, you've gotta go visit Iris, she'll brief you on what's going down."

The nineteen-year-old slid her glasses up her nose. "Auris on a rampage today?"

"Like nobody's business. Apparently someone tried to hack into the databases earlier this morning in the dark hours, but the programs kept them out. No clue who did the hack or why, but it's enough to keep her feathers ruffled. So watch your back."

The younger woman only had a moment to lift her hand in thanks before he headed off, probably to handle a case. Without thinking she called after him, "Victor, do you need me to ask the leader to give you a partner for this?"

He waved his hand lazily. "I'll be fine, Takamachi. Solo work keeps the blood warm."

She watched him disappear into the rain and knew what he left unsaid; Victor Stormhawk hadn't had a partner since the day Lutecia Alphine had been found dead by her surrogate father's grave.

* * *

Celica sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and not even glancing up when Vivio came into the room. "Hey, kid."

"No scolding me for coming in late?" Absently, Vivio wandered over to the cooler and fished out a vanilla Pepsi, clicking the can open. She would have preferred caramel milk, but she would take what she could get.

"We're all entitled." The older woman made no further comment on the issue; she knew what today was. "Did you see Vic, by any chance?"

"Yeah, he was heading out for a mission. You need him for something?"

"I need to run some info by him on a rogue. Guy only snapped recently and is still on the loose, so I want Vic to keep an eye out for him. Crazy in the head and trigger happy, but we lost track of him. He's damned good at staying under." She scowled remembering it; she had been the one tracking him, and it annoyed her that he'd gotten away.

The honey blonde grimaced, sitting down at her computer. "I hate rogues."

"Be glad your uncle never made you a field agent." It was the last favor Chrono had owed Nanoha; the brunette hadn't been able to convince her daughter to stay out of Shadow territory, so at her request Vivio had only been given a job behind the computers working as an assistant and partner to Celica. The girl had a knack for it, and so far she hadn't complained once.

Probably because things were still tense between her and Nanoha, Celica mused. Vivio would never truly be her old self with her mother, but she would respect her final wish out of duty, if nothing else.

"Say, Celica…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Vivio frowned. "Do you ever feel a chill when you come in?"

The gray-eyed woman blinked. "A chill?"

"Yeah. When you walk through the doors. Runs down your spine and makes you shiver, like someone's brushing a hand against your shoulders or something. Like they're trying to hold you back so you don't come in here."

There was a long moment of silence before Celica began typing again, the sound of the keys clacking sounding loud and unnatural in the stillness. "Can't say I've ever felt anything like that before."

Vivio's frown deepened, and she took another sip of her Pepsi. "Must be me, then."

Celicia said nothing.

_You and I both know there was someone else who never wanted you to end up here, kid. She must be rolling over in her grave right now._

* * *

So, yeah, I said I would never touch the "Sunset" AU again, but I was rereading the two recently and was inspired, hence this short.


	18. Downtime

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"Why am I doing this again?"

Enjoying the fight that was starting to brew on the dance floor, Miranda quickly spun around in her seat to face Lutecia. "Why are you doin' what, Alphine?"

Lutecia sighed. "Why am _I_ the one flirting with our target? I'm sixteen. Shouldn't you be doing it?"

Amused, Miranda patted Lutecia on the head and spun back around to watch the fight. "'Cause I've got a baby face compared to you, kid. You're sixteen going on twenty-one."

"So? You're older."

"Your point?" The black-haired woman smirked. "Men like younger women, anyway. Just let the vibes wash over you, Alphine. You won't mess this up unless you're dumb, blind, and deaf."

Lutecia winced. "Thanks, Miranda," she muttered. "Thanks a lot."

"Alphine, I've seen you. You can switch on the charm without even tryin'. Just relax and let it go."

"Don't you think I might still be bitter about Ken?"

"Honey, your heart was never really with that boy anyway."

Grumbling under her breath, Lutecia rested her head in her arms and scowled. "If this guy gives me a beer, I'm not touching it with a ten-foot pole."

"Your loss, Alphine." Never mind the fact that she was underage, and Miranda would much sooner clobber the man than let him sneak Lutecia an alcoholic beverage. Reaching back, she patted Lutecia on the head again. "Look, if it helps, just pretend you're flirting with an older, hotter version of Vivio."

At that, Lutecia blushed and stuttered. "M-Miranda! What makes you think I'd want to flirt with _her_?"

Miranda just chuckled and went back to watching the fight, a small smile playing on her lips.

* * *

Unfortunately, Miranda, your matchmaking attempts fail because Vivio isn't old enough yet for Lutecia to notice her. _Yet _being the key word, here. But hey, she means well.

So yeah, old and short, but I like it. Writing out Miranda/Lutecia interaction is always fun.


	19. Keep Your Thoughts Close

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

Lutecia had never hated her job.

Oh, true, she'd strongly disliked it at times, been horribly depressed by it when things had gone wrong, and on a truly dark, nasty day she'd even been amused by it when all she could do was laugh at the situation.

But she'd never actually _hated_ her job.

Not until _now_, anyway.

"Alphine, you're baring your teeth." Amused by the situation, Victor crunched happily on his Snickers bar, having an addiction to the things that rivaled his occasional partner's love for cherry Coke.

"I am not."

"Okay, fine, but you've been glaring at the kid ever since he stopped to talk to the girl. Relax. Let him have fun. We're supposed to protect him, not kill him."

It was, in all honesty, a very easy job this time around; Shadows were members of a covert group, but it didn't mean they always had to kill, lie, and hurt to get what they wanted. They could just as easily protect and save, if only from a distance, and were occasionally given such missions; these cases tended to fall in the realm of protecting a powerful politician with enemies, as the case usually was.

Lutecia hated this job with a passion.

The reason? Because the boy she was supposed to be protecting—some kid named Billy Gold or something, she was pretty sure his first name was Billy—went to Vivio's school. And currently, he was flirting with Vivio.

Fourteen-year-old Vivio. Billy was sixteen. It was taking all of Lutecia's willpower to not see red as he leaned in closer to her best friend.

Because, of course, that was why she was so annoyed. Vivio was still young, and Billy had plenty of girls his own age who were interested in him. She was just concerned about it, the way a close friend or older sister would be. That was all. That was the only reason she wanted to summon Garyuu and have him drag the foolish boy away…

"He's coming our way."

Lutecia blinked as Billy bounced over to them, grinning like a fool. The purple-haired woman saw Vivio leave with Rio and Corona and relaxed slightly. "Did you _see_ that girl?" Billy gushed, gesturing to Vivio, who thankfully couldn't see the pair because of the distance. "She was _hot_, man! I think she was totally digging me!"

Lutecia's hand flashed out.

Billy yelped, rubbing the back of his head as Lutecia started to walk. "Hey! What was that for?" he complained. "I was just stating a fact!"

"She's too young for you." Lutecia's voice was calm, collected, and just a little too cold. "Keep your priorities in order."

"Young? She's only two years behind me!"

"You should be thinking about protecting your life, not bagging a fourteen-year-old when you have plenty of girls your age who want to date you." Lutecia turned away. "Let's go, Storm, the Admiral wanted us to bring him back to headquarters."

Victor saw the slight tremor in Lutecia's hands and chuckled softly. "Sure," he said easily.

"What the hell's her problem?" Billy grumbled, lowering his hand even though the back of his head still hurt.

"That girl you were flirting with?" Victor smirked. "She's Alphine's best friend."

Billy's eyes widened. "Seriously? But, she's, like… isn't Alphine eighteen?"

"Yeah." Victor chuckled again. "It's an odd little friendship, but Alphine values it more than she values her own life. So watch your step around the kid, all right? Alphine'll kill you if you don't."

Billy stared after him for a moment, then grumbled and jogged after the pair, walking between them. "Freakin' hypocrite," he muttered, aiming a glare at Lutecia, though she didn't notice.

_Still, though, she WAS hot… I wonder if I could sneak her into my room without Dad noticing…_

SMACK.

"I didn't even _say_ anything!"

"It's called speaking mentally, dumbass! Learn to control it on your own, or I'll _make_ you learn!" Lutecia barked.

Victor just smiled.

* * *

Pre-"Never Confessed" based off the ages of Lutecia and Vivio, respectively. Plus, I just have _way _too much fun with an overprotective, jealous Lutecia.


	20. Winter Wind

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Dammit.

* * *

As a cool winter wind nipped at her skin, fourteen-year-old Vivio Takamachi shivered and sneezed violently.

"Bless you," Lutecia said absently. Her lips twitched at the corners.

Vivio swiped miserably at her nose with the back of her hand and scowled at Lutecia. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not laughing."

"You're thinking it."

This time, Lutecia couldn't hold back the chuckle as she glanced down at her young friend; the two were walking home to Vivio's house, Lutecia having gotten off work early and coming by to visit and pick the younger girl up. The day was cloudy and gray, with sharp winds and a chill in the air that promised snow.

Unlike Lutecia, who wore a light black jacket, Vivio was just in her school uniform. To say she was miserable was an understatement.

Lutecia sighed. "You know, if you hadn't been such a good kid and insisted that Lio borrow your jacket after hers got ruined in gym, you probably wouldn't be cold right now."

"What, and let her freeze?" Vivio shivered and rubbed her arms, desperately trying to warm herself. "At least my house isn't as far away from school as hers is."

"You're still freezing."

"Oh, shut up," Vivio mumbled. "It isn't like you tried to stop me."

Lutecia shrugged and went back to walking, but she glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eyes, quietly taking her in for a few minutes. Vivio was still short, having not yet hit a teenage growth spurt, and Lutecia had a few inches over her yet. "Come here, Vi," she said.

"Why?" Vivio was in full sulking mood now.

"Just come here, would you?" Lutecia unzipped her jacket. "I'm still big enough to force you, but I'd prefer you be willing."

Vivio pouted, but she came to Lutecia regardless; to be honest, she loved any excuse and opportunity she had to be close to the older woman. She wasn't sure what Lutecia had in mind, and blinked as the summoner pulled her close, one arm tight around her waist, pulling her in so that her jacket covered them both—as best it could, in any case.

Cue heavy blushing and stuttering. "C-Cia?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"You're cold." Lutecia sighed. "I don't like seeing you shiver. Besides, one of these days you'll probably be taller than me, so this might be my last chance to do this to you."

"B-but we're close, and…"

"I'm fine, Vi. Unless you have a problem with it…."

"No!" Vivio's yelp was quick. "No! No problem!"

"All right, then." Vivio could have sworn that Lutecia's grip on her tightened slightly, but maybe she was just imagining things. She sighed and hesitantly rested her cheek against Lutecia's shoulder, delighted when the older woman didn't complain. "Ne, Cia…"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Lutecia smiled. "No problem."

Vivio sighed. As good as this felt… "Nanoha-mama's going to kill you if she sees this, you know."

This time, Lutecia laughed.

"I'll take that risk."

* * *

ViCia fluff is always fun for me, heh.


	21. When a Shadow Sleeps

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The only thing (or person) I own is Victor. He's mine.

* * *

Victor was not looking forward to doing this.

It was rare for a Shadow on her off days to be called into work; Admiral Harlaown was a man who knew that his agents could only be pushed so far before they broke completely, and it was no secret that as of late he'd spent a great deal of time worrying over one Lutecia Alphine. The young woman was S-rank and one of the most powerful agents on active field duty.

She was also dangerously close to breaking. It was getting harder and harder for her to hide how ragged around the edges she was becoming, shaky and unsure of her actions even as she carried her missions out with a ruthlessness she'd never had in the past. She was beginning to crack, and it was the reason why Admiral Harlaown had started giving her breaks, more so than normal. Everyone knew the woman pushed herself too damn hard.

Now she was going to be called back in.

Victor didn't know what the mission was about, nor why the higher ups felt they needed Lutecia's power behind it; all he knew was that he had orders to find Lutecia and bring her in for the mission. Admiral Harlaown had grumbled, and as far as he currently knew, was still trying to get the decision overturned.

Sighing, Victor found himself at Lutecia's apartment door much too quickly and lifted a hand, knocking gently; and blinked as he saw that the door had been left open slightly, perhaps to let the warm breeze drift in as a comfort. He got curious and, unable to resist, cautiously peeked through the door, wondering what he'd see.

His heart twisted painfully.

Lutecia was on the couch, wearing dark gray pants and a short-sleeved black shirt; she was curled on her side, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with each breath she drew.

Her cheek rested trustingly against Vivio Takamachi's knee as the young high school student diligently scratched away at her homework, her hand lightly resting on Vivio's thigh as she slept. For all intents and purposes Vivio didn't even seem to be aware of her girlfriend sleeping peacefully beside her, long purple strands of hair falling across her face, if not for the fact that her free hand rested on Lutecia's shoulder, gently stroking down along her side, occasionally going to stroke her hair.

Victor didn't have to be close to the pair to know that Lutecia wasn't just napping, as she tended to do when she was at work or on a long mission; when she napped her body was tense, wound for action, and the lightest possible touch, the softest possible sound, could wake her up in an instant. No, right now, Lutecia was asleep: her body was relaxed, her muscles loose and easy, her breathing deep and even. She'd let her guard drop, completely trusted Vivio.

When she napped, Lutecia's face was constantly changing; a wince, a grimace, a whimper or a sigh. Nightmares haunted her when she slept.

But now her face was relaxed, almost happy; a small, content smile curved her lips as Vivio continued to stroke her hair, just enjoying the simple contact. Sleeping right now, she seemed to be hounded by no nightmares.

Swallowing slightly, Victor took a deep breath, straightened up, and walked away from the door, bounding lightly down the steps that led to Lutecia's apartment. He had no doubt that by now, Admiral Harlaown had managed to calm the team advisors.

Fuck the advisors and their objectives, he thought bitterly. Too many times they had broken good people, good Shadows.

Lutecia was resting now, without nightmares. That was all she needed.

* * *

Not much, but made some wording changes based off comments Dezo made when I originally posted this short, about how Chrono wouldn't actually have anybody above him, only people below him. Hopefully this still carries the main impact.


	22. Straitjacket Feeling

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any songs by All American Rejects. I was just inspired by the lyrics.

_

* * *

_

"Today I'm fine without you  
Run away this time without you  
And all I ever thought you'd be  
That face is tearing holes in me  
But today I'm fine without you  
Run away this time without you  
And all the things you put me through  
I'm holding on by letting go of you."

* * *

Lutecia shivered; her thin black jacket was poor insulation against the winter cold. She could see her breath misting in front of her eyes, could feel the chill seeping into her skin, but she made no move to leave, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets.

"How did she die?"

Kellen Arks was a handsome man; looking at him, Lutecia could see why Miranda had been attracted to him. His chocolate brown hair was trimmed short and neat, his gray eyes were intense and moody; he was a quiet, serious man who had perfectly contrasted Miranda's bubbly personality.

On the surface, anyway. Lutecia knew, better than anyone, that Miranda could be just as quiet and focused as her fiancée when the moment called for it.

"I know you were her partner," Kellen said when Lutecia didn't reply. "I want to know how she died." He turned, and his gray eyes were unreadable. "No one's giving me straight answers on what happened or why. You'll tell me."

Lutecia raised a brow. "I'm sorry, but if the Admiral didn't give you the full story, then I have no right to tell you anything. Miranda's dead. We captured the man who did it. That's all you need to know."

A long, tense silence stretched out between them; Kellen's eyes flared, and his whole body tensed as if ready to attack. Lutecia braced herself.

In a rush, the tension seeped out of his body. His shoulders sagged; his eyes went from unreadable to stricken, broken, in a heartbeat. "Did she suffer?" he whispered hoarsely. "Was she in pain, at the end? That's all I want to know. Please."

Lutecia hesitated; her eyes softened. There was another moment of silence as the pair was buffeted by a gust of icy wind. Finally, she sighed. "It was a painless death," she said softly. "She was hit right in a vital area. Death was instantaneous. She didn't feel a thing."

It was a lie. Miranda had lingered for minutes, and Lutecia had no doubt that she'd felt immense agony as she'd bled to death in her partner's arms. It was the truth, and it was something Lutecia would remember until the day she died; the light leaving her partner's eyes, her body going limp and cold, her breathing fading away into nothing but silence.

It was _not_, however, what Kellen needed to know.

Kellen met her gaze searchingly before he nodded, looking away. "Thank you," he said at last. "That… that's what I wanted to know."

Lutecia nodded, then hesitated and pulled her hand out of her pocket, offering it to him, opening her fingers so he could stare blankly at the tiny dragonfly key-chain in her hand. "She bought it for you," she murmured. "While we were out. She…" Her composure faltered, and she swallowed hard. "She asked me to give this to you."

Kellen stared at the tiny key-chain for a long, long moment; he smiled slightly, and his eyes went soft and sad as his fingers came up, tracing the tiny dragonfly wings, the little legs, studying the bright colors that contrasted against the day's grayness. Finally, he shook his head and gently closed Lutecia's fingers around the key-chain. "Keep it," he said quietly. "You need it more than I do."

Lutecia blinked, then slowly pulled her hand back into her pocket. Kellen gave her one last small smile before he left, his jacket billowing in the wind.

For a long time, Lutecia stared after him. After several minutes, her fingers tightened painfully around the key-chain before she turned her gaze back to Miranda's grave.

A soft sob escaped her as a single tear streaked her cheek.

* * *

"_And when that memory slips away  
There'll be a better view from here  
And only lonesome you remains  
And just the thought of you I fear  
Grip falls away…"_

* * *

Another Miranda short, though she's dead here. Some may recgonize Kellen from Miranda's mentions of "Kel" back in earlier drabbles, her longtime boyfriend. I had a lot of debate about what kind of character I wanted him to be, and to be honest, he was a bit of a jerk when I first envisioned him. But then I couldn't imagine Miranda loving someone like that, so he turned out like this. I doubt he'll appear again, but it was fun to write his interaction with Lutecia.


	23. It Only Hurts

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing. Not MGLN, not Lutecia, not Vivio. Nothing.

Author's Notes: A short response I posted to AS fanfiction thread awhile ago to the prompt "But weren't you in love with her?", posted as a challenge to get the thread active again during one of its quiet periods. Another AU of my AU, yay! Title based off a Shania Twain song I listened to while writing out the drabble.

_

* * *

_

_"But weren't you in love with her?"_

* * *

"Vivio's going out with Ein tonight."

Her cherry Coke lifted to her lips, Lutecia could practically feel Caro and Erio's gazes as they glanced at her after the pink-haired woman made the announcement. Forcing her throat to stay steady, she shrugged and took a sip. "Good for her," she said. "Einhart Stratos, right? She's a good kid. She matches Vi well."

Caro and Erio exchanged a look. "It's not going to be a one date thing," Erio said at last. "Ein's had a crush on Vivio for years. She'll be going for her all out, and from what I heard, Vivio isn't trying to stop her."

"And your point?" Starting to get annoyed, Lutecia lowered her bottle to the table with a scowl. "I already said Ein's a decent kid. She's perhaps a little too mature for my tastes, considering her age, but she's a good match for Vivio. They'll keep each other out of trouble."

_She's a much better match for Vivio than I could ever be._

Erio opened his mouth again, but seeing that Lutecia's nerves were beginning to become raw, Caro gently touched his arm to soothe him. "We're sorry, Lu-chan," she said softly. "We thought Vivio would have told you."

Lutecia shrugged again, lowering her eyes as she took a mixer and absently swirled it in her drink. "I don't control every aspect of her life, Caro. She doesn't have to tell me everything she does, or everything that happens to her."

Caro hesitated, then nodded. "I see," she said softly. "So you're okay with it?"

Lutecia lifted her bottle again, took a long gulp. "It doesn't matter if I'm okay with it. It's Vivio's life, it's what she wants. And besides, Ein is practically a shadow of her." Her lips twitched. "The Fate to her Nanoha. Much more than I could ever be."

Sensing a change in the atmosphere, Erio quietly murmured something to Caro before slipping out of the booth, leaving the pair alone. Lutecia was grateful for it; while she knew the red-haired man suspected her feelings, he would never put her on the spot about it.

Caro on the other hand…

"You knew, didn't you? That she loves you."

"_Loved_ me. Of course I knew." Lutecia smiled slightly. "Vi can hide things, but she's always had her heart on her sleeve. I knew for years. I chose to do nothing about it."

"Because of the age difference?"

"That and other things."

_It isn't a total lie._

Caro's eyes softened. "But, Lu-chan…"

Lutecia said nothing, her grip on her Coke bottle tightening painfully.

"Weren't you in love with her?"

For a long moment there was only silence. Finally, Lutecia chuckled, and the smile she gave Caro this time was more than just a little broken.

"Wasn't I?"

* * *

Lutecia. She likes to mess with Caro sometimes. I don't know if that's healthy.


	24. Curiosity Killed

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. At all.

Author's Note: Companion piece to _It Only Hurts_. Because I wanted to do something from Vivio's POV.

* * *

"So, Vivio, you and Ein dating now?"

Caught mid-sip, Vivio's eyes widened and she coughed, choking on her vanilla Pepsi. Shooting a glare at Lio, Corona whapped the blonde hard on the back to help her clear her lungs. Coughing again, Vivio grimaced and lowered her can. "What?"

"Didn't you and Ein go on your third date last night?" Lio asked. For some reason Vivio could never understand, the girl was rather… interested in her recently blooming relationship with Einhart.

_Is it even a relationship? I mean, we've gone out a couple times, but it's not like we've said we're girlfriends…_

To gather her thoughts and buy some time, Vivio took a sip of her drink before she responded. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "We haven't really talked about it."

Lio stared while Corona nodded in understanding. "How have you two not talked about it?" the girl yelped. "You two are going out! Don't you have plans to meet each other?"

"Day after tomorrow," Vivio said absently. "Ein wanted to go out tonight, but I cancelled because Cia's helping me with my history homework."

At that, Corona and Lio both stared at her. "Cia?" Corona said slowly. "As in Lutecia?"

"Yes, what about it?"

The two girls exchanged a long look; finally, Corona cleared her throat. "But… isn't that awkward?" she asked softly. "I thought you were in love with her, Vivio."

Vivio stiffened, going deathly still; for a moment, her fingers tightened painfully around her can. "Cia doesn't see me that way." She smiled sadly. "We talked about it before I went out with Ein again. She's supportive of what's going on."

Lio and Corona exchanged another look. "But…" Lio's voice was soft. "Vi, don't you still love her?"

Vivio sighed, then finished her can and crushed it. "I'm working on trying to fall out of love with her." She tossed it into a nearby trash bin. "It helps to know she isn't interested, and she's the one who offered to come over and help out tonight."

Corona's eyes softened. "Vivio…"

"I have to go, or I'll be late. Nanoha-mama's working late with Fate-mama tonight, so I need to go let Cia in." Vivio stood, grabbing her book bag. "I'll talk to you two later, okay?"

Dumbly, Corona and Lio both nodded, watching their friend go until she was out of sight. Once the coast was clear, Corona scowled and whapped Lio over the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"You just _had_ to ask, didn't you?"

"Oh come on, it wasn't like you didn't want to—"

_SMACK._

"OW!"

* * *

Lio and Corona were fun to write, heh. At least, I think it's Lio. I can't even honestly remember what her name is translated at anymore; I know it's a toss up between Rio and Lio. Last I checked, I think officially it was Lio.


	25. On The Matter of Ties

Disclaimer: As per usual, I own absolutely nothing.

Author's Note: Posting out of order yet again, as this is my most recent ViCia drabble. Was a request written for my friend Fuyu no Sora's birthday yesterday, and I wanted to upload it here as well because I liked it a lot as its own story. Edited the opening a bit, so hopefully the situation is more clear for those who read it on AS.

* * *

Lutecia grimaced, adjusting her collar and taking a moment to undo a few buttons. She was thankful that the dance had _finally_ ended, and that she was back in the safety of her room for the time being. She'd had fun at the event, of course, but… well, some of the younger girls from Vivio's school had spent _way _too much time noticing the older woman in a suit. It had certainly made things at the whole event rather _interesting _at several points, and she was glad that it had passed.

In any case, she was back home and had finally taken off the more restrictive parts of her outfit, grateful for a moment alone. Vivio had come back to the apartment with her, mostly due to the late hour and the fact that it was dark outside; it had been Megane's suggestion that she stay over and wait for Fate to come pick her up instead of just walking home, though Lutecia knew that really, the danger wasn't that someone would attack Vivio, but what _Vivio _would do to anyone who tried to attack her.

Shaking her head and sighing, she blew out a long, relieved breath as her muscles relaxed, brushing loose strands of purple hair out of her face. Briefly checking her watch, she stepped back and headed outside, deciding to go and get a drink from the kitchen. It would be safe, for the moment; she wasn't exactly in her best appearance, but Vivio was busy with Burning Glory and probably wouldn't notice her.

It wasn't like she was walked around naked, but… well, Lutecia still thought it said something when she wore an unbuttoned white under shirt and black pants, the tie still loosely around her neck.

Or maybe that was just her hyperactive imagination.

_More like your overactive imagination…_

And she squashed that thought before it could even fully form.

Resolving to not even think about anything else, Lutecia finally opened the door of her bedroom and stepped out, closing it softly behind her and heading down the hallway, years of training making her light on her feet and impossible to hear. She reached the entrance to the kitchen and stepped inside.

And froze when she came face to face with Vivio. The younger woman froze almost comically as well, a can of caramel milk lifted to her lips, almost in mid sip.

"Ah…." Lutecia's throat went dry, and she tried to remind herself again and again that she wasn't walking around naked, or even in the bare minimum for clothing, but that didn't help the fact that she was stripped down more than she would have liked. She swallowed slightly. "Hi, Vi," she squeaked out.

Vivio continued to stare, not even bothering to respond to her girlfriend's timid greeting. She finished her caramel milk and set it down on the counter, never once taking her eyes off the older woman. Lutecia was starting to squirm a little in place, not sure of what the honey-blonde had in mind, and if possible froze even further when Vivio stopped short in front of her by a few inches.

"U-um, Vivio?" The purple-haired woman didn't dare move as the younger girl studied her for a moment, a small smirk curving her lips before she reached out. Lutecia stiffened as Vivio's fingers lightly, gently closing around the tie she still wore, a small gesture that made the blood in Lutecia's body heat slightly. She didn't sense any real seductive intent behind the touch, but….

_Um, my brain, it's kind of shutting down…_

Finally, Vivio smiled up at her girlfriend, still gripping her tie lightly. "Hey, Cia?"

Lutecia gulped slightly and prayed it wasn't audible. "Yeah?"

"You should wear ties more often." And with that, Vivio left the kitchen as she heard a knock on the door, indicating Fate was probably there to come get her.

The summoner stood there for a good minute or two, dazed, before she blinked.

"… Wait. Why should I wear ties more often?"

* * *

Poor, poor Lutecia. Wise in some ways, clueless in others.


	26. Left Unsaid

Disclaimer: I own nothing, though I wish I did.

Author's Note: Another out of order post; third in the series I started with _It Only Hurts _and _Curiosity Killed_. Because the bunny wouldn't leave me alone.

* * *

"So, how has Vivio been lately?"

There was no malicious intent in Megane's question; it was an honest inquiry, as she and Fate had happened to cross each other's paths while at work. Having not seen each other in a long while, the two women had settled down for a break to talk; considering Lutecia and Vivio hadn't interacted much lately, it was probably the only time they would have for a long, long while.

Fate thought about it for a moment, taking a light sip from her water bottle. "She's been good," she said at last. "Busy with school since break is coming up." She hesitated for a moment before she added, "Things with Ein have been going very well." Megane couldn't help but notice how she didn't elaborate on what 'well' meant.

All things considered, she didn't really blame her.

"Anyway." Shaking her head, the red-eyed woman glanced at Megane and smiled. "What about Lutecia? We haven't seen her around much." She laughed softly. "This might sound odd, but I think Nanoha actually misses her a little."

The thought of Nanoha actually missing her daughter's presence, even if only a little bit, made the purple-haired woman chuckle. Brushing loose strands of hair out of her eyes, she smiled slightly. "She's pretty much the same," she murmured with a soft laugh. "I swear, she's attached to Caro and Erio at the hip these days. Either she's with them or she's working. I rarely see any in between for her anymore."

Like Fate, there were things Megane didn't say. Neither of them called the other out on it. They both knew it was abnormal; how Vivio threw herself into her budding relationship with Ein, how Lutecia either worked or spent time with Erio and Caro, how they had been carefully avoiding each other lately.

Finally, Fate finished her water bottle and stood up. The rest of their time had passed in calm, almost contemplative silence. There had been nothing awkward about it. Lightly, she tossed it into a nearby bin. "Give Genya my regards, would you?" she asked. "And tell Lutecia to not be a stranger. It almost feels wrong for her to be away after visiting so much over the years."

Megane's smile widened slightly and she nodded. "Tell the same to Vivio," she said lightly. "The apartment feels kind of empty since she stopped visiting."

And in that fashion they parted.

They both knew in the long run, nothing had been resolved for either of their daughters.

* * *

Yeah, I don't really know what to make of this. It was a rather unexpected bunny that I jotted down, mostly for fun. It's always interesting to consider the what if scenario.


	27. Jailbait Wait

Disclaimer: As per usual, I own nothing. Yay, nothingness!

Author's Note: Oh boy, is this an old one. This was originally a challenge presented to me by Deathcurse on AS, which consisted of the following rules:

1. ViCia jailbait wait-them doing an inane activity  
2. No physical touching at all during the whole short  
3. Must mention: Cards, umbrella, stapler, Yuuno and spaceship  
4. Someone else who lampshade hangs the wait  
5. No more than 1000 words

In the end, the full drable was 560 words!

* * *

"Shouldn't we be playing cards right now?"

Vivio snorted, flipping the channels without even really paying attention to any of the television shows that flashed by. "That's cliché and expected of us."

Lutecia blinked, raising a brow. "It is?"

"Really, Cia, have you never watched a movie where two people who want to sleep together have to wait until midnight?"

Having taken a sip from her cherry Coke, the purple-haired woman choked on it. "Oh, come on," she gasped out.

"What? It's true! You see it all the time! I even saw a movie like that with Yuuno-san once!" The blonde paused, remembering, and shuddered. "That was… awkward."

The older woman snorted softly with amusement, deeming it safe to finally drink her cherry Coke; she would have much preferred snuggling with Vivio to watch TV, but considering they only had a few minutes until it was midnight and officially the day the younger girl became eighteen, she wasn't taking any chances. It would have been driving her completely insane, if not for the fact that Vivio was also keeping her distance.

As such, it only drove her half insane.

Vivio noted belatedly that time would probably fly by much faster if she actually _paid attention_ to any of the television programs currently playing; as it was, despite everything, it was impossible to focus on them for long. Recognizing the opening theme for a soap opera Fate liked to watch from time to time when Nanoha wasn't around, some sort of family drama that took place on a spaceship instead of in a house… for some reason.

Noticing that Vivio had stayed on one channel this time, Lutecia's eyebrow went up a second time. "_All Our Space Cadets_? You never seemed to like it much."

"I don't, but it's Fate-mama's guilty pastime. She really likes it for some reason."

"I only saw one episode with Mom. Weird little episode." She frowned, remembering it. "For some reason the main characters were using a stapler to—"

A minute too late she realized what she was saying and hastily snapped her mouth shut, a dark, hot blush rushing into her face; Vivio was no better, her eyes wide and staring at Lutecia with a similar blush. A gleam seemed to enter her eyes before she turned her attention back to the TV.

There was a long moment of silence. Lutecia took another sip of cherry Coke. Finally, Vivio cleared her throat. "This one's a rerun," she said at last. "Fate-mama made me watch it once."

"Ah." Lutecia wondered when her brain circuits would reconnect so she could speak in coherent sentences.

"…" Vivio coughed. "Want to watch it?" she asked. "This time they use an umbrella."

Lutecia chuckled softly. Somehow, she didn't think this was going to make the wait any easier…

"Sure, why not."

* * *

In the kitchen, Megane chuckled and leaned back against the wall, so she was no longer watching the pair, cradling a phone to her ear. "Yes, Nanoha-san, I'm absolutely sure there's nothing to worry about. They're just counting down the minutes." She paused, then sighed. "No, not for _that_…"

Megane thought it would give Nanoha peace of mind if she didn't know that they were, indeed, counting down the minutes until Vivio was legal. But it was probably better for everybody involved if she didn't mention that.

* * *

Hehe. Megane is fun to write in moments like these.


	28. Scars

_Disclaimer: _As per usual, I own absolutely nothing related to MGLN. "Carry You Home" and its lyrics are property of James Blunt.

Author's Note: Another out of order update, this one being posted to AS today. Reasons for the early post are listed below, after the drabble.

_

* * *

_

_"As strong as you were, tender you go  
I'm watching you breathing for the last time  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet  
I know what it means and, I'll carry you home  
I'll carry you home."_

* * *

"This," Lutecia said at last after she had finally finished applying the last bandage to the swollen, bloody wound on Victor's side, "is why I sometimes hate escort missions." Done with her treatment, she pulled back and stood up from where she had been kneeling, going into the bathroom of the motel room and turning on the sink to wash her hands.

Victor grimaced a little and shifted on the bed, trying to get a feel for how the injury would allow him to move; it was annoying and a little painful, even with his partner's treatment, but he could last until they met up with the other team to get off the planet. "You sound disappointed," he called after her. "Upset that I stole your record of getting bloody?"

The towel Lutecia had used to dry her hands caught the man smack between the eyes, and had enough force behind it to make him crash onto his back with a yelp; a true testament to her strength and aim when she put her mind to it. Ignoring him as he sat back up and grumbled, yanking the towel off his face, she sat down beside him and crossed her legs, already taking down notes. "That wound will probably scar, even with medical treatment," she murmured.

"Will it be a sexy scar or an ugly scar?"

The summoner smirked, her head bowed as she worked on their report. "Depends on what kind of ladies you attract, Storm."

"You wound me, Alphine." He started to get to his feet, and yelped again when her hand shot out and grabbed his ear. "OW!"

"No moving. You'll make it bleed again."

"I just want some water!"

"Hold on, then." Setting aside the papers, Lutecia got to her feet and went to the small fridge in the room, flicking it open easily and retrieving a bottle of water, passing it to Victor when she sat on the bed again. "Losing more blood won't kill you, but it would be messy, and I don't feel like being scolded by the head matron of this place for playing kinky games."

Victor, having gulped from his water, nearly choked. "She still thinks we're-?"

"Yep."

Shaking his head, Victor continued to drink. Honestly, in the long run it probably helped their cover story, but he was kind of amused by the fact that everyone they met on their missions tended to assume they were lovers. A natural assumption, perhaps, but still… very funny in its own right.

He snuck a glance at Lutecia out of the corner of his eye; she was still working diligently on the paperwork, no doubt using the downtime to get a head start on her half of the report.

To be honest, he was relieved. They both knew he had meant it as a joke, but the fact was, his partner had a worrying habit of ending up bloody and bruised when she really had no reason to be that way in the first place, and blaming herself when somebody bled instead. That she was overall reacting with only concern and humor towards the fact that he'd taken a shot instead of her was reassuring for him.

Then again, maybe it was a sign of how much she trusted him that she didn't fuss or blame herself in the first place.

…

He liked that idea. He liked it a lot.

Unable to resist, Victor lowered his bottle. "Hey, Alphine."

She glanced up; he saw a flicker of red beneath her purple bangs. "What, Storm?"

He shifted so she could see the wounded area and patted a hand against it. "What do you think? Sexy or ugly?"

Lutecia actually seemed to consider it before she spoke again, her voice contemplative. "Knowing you," she decided, "I'd have to say it'd be a sexy scar."

He grinned. "You mean that?"

Then she continued. "Of course, you'd insist it was sexy even it turned out to be ugly, so I'm just saving myself the trouble of debating it with you." Her red eyes gleamed wickedly, and she easily dodged the pillow he threw, scrambling off the bed.

Her laughter was music to his ears.

* * *

Just Victor and Lutecia, goofing off a little after a mission. Apologies for no backstory on the mission itself, but I felt it didn't fit, and I didn't really think much about it anyway when I actually wrote the short. In terms of timeline... I'd probably say pre-Vivio, when Lutecia is still sore from losing Miranda, but not starting to crack yet. I have to admit I didn't think very heavily in terms of timeline, but based off Lutecia's general personality, I'd place this short right around there.

As for general things, well... today's the one year anniversary since the death of my friends, Lance and Lexa. So I wanted to write something for them. They liked my humor a lot, so I thought I'd give it a shot and see what I got.


	29. A Matter of Pride

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN or Lutecia Alphine.

* * *

At twenty-one years old, Lutecia Alphine was both smart and old enough to know when she was simply being childishly stubborn about something she couldn't change. The moments were rare and far between, but she was still prone to them when she was in a mood; as Megane liked to say, "You still have a lot of growing up to do."

Under any other circumstances, Lutecia wouldn't have minded the display of childish emotion, regardless of her age; she found it almost relieving, honestly, that she could still show those kinds of things after nearly having them beaten out of her by Jail and the Numbers, then being forced to repress them again as a result of becoming an agent of the Naval Special Intelligence Service, one of the few who willingly claimed the title of Shadow.

So, normally, Lutecia wouldn't have been so bothered by her quick flash of stubbornness over things out of her control… only, when it concerned a badly twisted and currently throbbing ankle, it was almost impossible to ignore the fact that she'd swallowed her pain out of idiotic pride.

Granted, she could just as easily said she'd kept quiet because her teammates had been badly hurt by comparison; a twisted ankle, no matter how badly twisted it was, barely compared to a deep side wound and a broken shoulder. So on one hand, she could easily say she'd refused treatment out of worry for her teammates; but at her core, it was really the fact that she was a damned _Shadow_ and as a Shadow, an injury as minor as a twisted ankle _shouldn't have bothered her_.

Grimacing, Lutecia shook her head and took a deep drink from her cherry Coke, resisting the urge to lean down and rub her aching foot. She was sitting outside, enjoying the warm weather (or trying to), lounging on the steps outside the library. After the mission she'd been dismissed, and as a result had more free time than she knew what to do with. Normally, she would have swallowed her pride by now and gone in for treatment, but she didn't look forward to the fact that Shamal would lecture her mercilessly for keeping quiet about an injury, no matter how miniscule.

And honestly, Lutecia didn't think she could even stand up right now.

Deciding to test the theory, the summoner took a deep breath and set down her can before she stood, moving gingerly on her feet. At first it was promising, and feeling her confidence return a bit, she took a few tentative steps.

Bad idea.

The flash of pain was hot, sharp, and nearly blinding in its intensity; as she cursed and wobbled, dropping back down to the stairs with a whimper, it crossed the purple-haired woman's mind that quite possibly, her injury was worse than she'd initially thought.

_Not like it matters_, she mused with a pained sigh, finally giving in and rubbing the swollen flesh softly as she picked up her cherry Coke and took another deep, long drink. _I can barely stand as it is._ She just hoped nobody she knew saw her like this; it would sting.

"Cia?"

_… Dammit._

Lowering her can, Lutecia's red eyes met the green-and-red combination of Takamachi Vivio's. Praying there was no pain in her gaze, the older woman swallowed slightly and smiled, genuinely happy to see her girlfriend despite her condition. "Hey, Vivio," she said in greeting. "What are you doing here? It's getting late."

Vivio frowned, lightly crossing her arms over her chest. "I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you be home by now?"

Damn, Vivio knew her schedule too well. "Um," the older woman replied intelligently, blinking. "I was just…. That is…."

Vivio lifted a brow and waited. Lutecia let every excuse and lie she could think of run through her head, but none of them held any weight; a new and frustrating change for someone who's job specialty was lying. It wasn't so much that she couldn't _think_ of a lie, it was more that she couldn't _make_ herself lie.

_Oh, hell, I've been stubborn about it this far, I can only keep pushing it so hard_. "I can't get up," she muttered.

At that, the younger girl blinked. "Can't get up?"

Lutecia's face flamed. "I got hurt on my last mission. It's worse than I thought." She gestured to her ankle. "I can't get up."

Vivio frowned. "Why didn't you go see Aunt Shamal?"

_… Double dammit._ "I didn't think it was important at the time." It was hard for Lutecia to feel ashamed of herself, but Vivio had a good track record of prompting the feeling from her.

There was a long moment of silence as Vivio pondered this; Lutecia had to resist the urge to wince, knowing that she'd sounded amazingly childlike and stubborn "Anyway," she continued, trying to ignore her returning blush, "you should head home, it's getting late. If I give it time, the pain won't be too bad—"

The next instant she yelped as she was, with amazing ease, swept up into Vivio's arms; she squirmed and blushed, her arms naturally coming around the taller girl's neck to steady herself. "V-Vivio?" she squeaked, her face so red it could pass for a traffic light.

"Relax, I've got you." Despite being younger by four years, Vivio's recent growth spurt and body build gave her a physical advantage over her girlfriend, one she was currently enjoying very much right now. "I'll take you in to get your injury treated, then I'll bring you home. It's a shorter walk."

"U-um… you don't have to…" At the look the younger girl gave her, Lutecia wilted. "Okay."

Satisfied, Vivio tightened her hold on Lutecia and started to walk, humming softly—both to amuse herself and to soothe her girlfriend, the summoner imagined. With a sigh, shaking her head, Lutecia rested her head against Vivio's chest and closed her eyes with a small smile. "You're sweet, you know that?"

This time, Vivio was the one who blushed.

* * *

And back to your semi-regular schedule of updates!

Also, as a small note, this is pre-Shadow; I'd say right on the cusp of it, really.


	30. Three Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN, as usual. Celica Iris-Lynnfield isn't my creation; she belongs to Syn on AS, better known as .stuff here.

* * *

Hearing the telltale twist of a bottle being opened, Celica Iris-Lynnfield sighed and leaned back into her chair, glancing over her shoulder. "Alphine, have you ever tried not drinking cherry Coke for at least one day in your life?"

Lifting the bottle to her lips, Lutecia Alphine took a long drink from her favorite liquid before lowering it with an innocent smile. "It didn't end well."

Sighing again, Celica turned back to her computer, clicking through the files. "Fine, do whatever you like," she said. "I can only hope your girlfriend likes cherry breath."

Lutecia raised a brow, but she was distracted by a knock on the door; taking another quick drink, the purple-haired summoner set the cherry Coke down on the desk and headed over to open the door, blinking. "Storm? Why are you here? It's almost three in the morning."

"I know." Victor grunted as he stepped into the control room, carefully balancing a pizza box in his arms. "But I heard from Charlie that you two were still in here plugging away when everyone left."

Celica gestured to Lutecia. "I _told_ her to go home."

"And I told _you_ we're partners for this case," the other woman shot back mildly. "I might not be good with computers, but I know how to keep someone company."

That one made the gray-eyed girl scowl, but otherwise she stayed quiet as Victor set the box down on the table and flipped it open. "Anyway," he continued, "you two have been here and it crossed my mind that neither of you ate during our dinner break. I had to pull some strings to get a pizza place to deliver so early, but I have my contacts." He grinned.

Lutecia snorted and scooped up a slice. "More like you probably dated someone on the delivery crew." Taking a bite, she studied the light in her friend's eyes before her red gaze flickered to Celica, the other woman still typing away furiously and not even giving Victor a glance.

She sighed and made the connection. _"Lynnfield."_

_"What?"_ Her voice was annoyed. _"I'm working, here."_

_"I know. But eat. And say thank you to the nice man who took the time to get you pizza and make sure you didn't starve at three in the morning."_ The summoner's voice was amused, but there was a gentle urge to it.

Sighing and caving in, Celica spun her chair around and stood up, going over to grab a slice. "Thanks, Vic," she mumbled as she took a bite, and she would have sooner gone to her grave than admit that the taste was heavenly. Ignoring both his grin and Lutecia's soft laugh, she went back over and plopped down in her chair. "No plates?"

"Sorry." Victor scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and grabbed his own piece. "My magic can only do so much."

"Meh, not a big deal." Celica took another bite. Suddenly, though, she found the silence maddening with more company; it was like she _needed_ to hear voices. "Hey, Alphine."

Lutecia washed down her latest bite with cherry Coke. "Yes?"

"Talk."

"About?"

"I don't know. Something. What's going on with that girlfriend of yours?"

At that, the purple-haired woman blinked; out of the Shadows, Celica had never seemed particularly interested in her relationship with Vivio. Shrugging it off—she never minded talking—she grabbed another slice. "She has a dance coming up…" She paused for a moment, checking her internal clock. "This evening, actually."

Victor stared. "And you're still here?"

"I already have it under control." Lutecia shrugged and took a bite. "It's not a big deal, just a little get together hosted by the school for kicks. She's looking forward to it, though."

Celica smirked. "Your mom aiming to get you into a suit?" It was no secret that while other women liked to see their daughters in dresses, Megane seemed to have an ache to see Lutecia in a suit; probably because she knew her daughter could pull it off with little effort.

"I already have one." Lutecia winced. "The General's a big fan of the idea, too, so."

At that, Victor laughed outright. "General Yagami? Why am I not surprised?"

Lutecia shrugged.

Feeling oddly soothed by it, Celica continued working; she couldn't say she was a social creature by any means, but she enjoyed the company of the two people currently with her. As she slid out to grab another slice, a wicked thought crossed her mind that she couldn't resist. "Say, Alphine…"

"Hmm?"

"How many bases could you and Vivio cover with a suit?"

Lutecia blushed and groaned. "You, too?"

_"Should we tell her about the bet that they'll get cockblocked again by Nanoha?" _Victor wondered.

Celica smirked. _"Nah. Let her find out for herself. Besides, they still have plenty of bases they can cover without going all the way."_

When Victor choked on his pizza, Celica simply smiled.

* * *

She appeared sooner in this drabble dump thanks to my wanting to keep the "Sunset" arc together as best I could (You may remember her as Vivio's partner from "Chill"), but this is the first drabble I ever wrote featuring Syn's Celica, the main star of her ongoing Shadowverse fic "false light". She's a lot of fun to write.


	31. But

Disclaimer: The only thing I own in this short is Victor.

* * *

Thoughts of romance didn't cross Celica's mind often or overwhelmingly. She was hardly a stranger to the concept, but to her the idea was a distant one; something often portrayed in books and movies between two people who magically fell madly and deeply in love with each other within five seconds of meeting while pretty harp music played in the background.

So, okay, maybe she was being a _little _cynical. If romance didn't work, Chrono wouldn't be married with a family; the same for Hayate. And Lutecia, for all her cracks and hang-ups, was still happily dating her girlfriend. The simple fact was that Celica tended to be logical in choosing her partners; at times she was driven by an attractiveness factor, but largely, she knew what she wanted and didn't let romance cloud her head.

With a scowl, the agent brushed loose strands of hair out of her eyes. Why was she even _thinking _about romance, anyway? It wasn't like starting to date someone always had to be a romantic thing. It could just as easily be casual, or hell, it could be a one-night stand where they went to work and didn't acknowledge it had happened the next day. Besides, _romance _and _Victor Stormhawk _didn't exactly fit together—

And dammit, she'd acknowledged it. Fuck.

Cursing, Celica clicked the file she'd been working on closed and leaned back into her chair with a sigh. "I blame it on Alphine," she mumbled to nobody in particular. Lutecia didn't look it, but the woman was a master matchmaker; or, at the very least, she was getting tips from Caro. Considering that Victor had a not-so-well-hidden crush on Celica, the work was pretty much half done for her.

… Okay, so, it wasn't like Celica was exactly unwilling. She was busy and logical, not dead, and Victor was a damned attractive man. Not overly muscular, but he kept in shape, and the fact that Lutecia's recent habit of giving the man's dirty blonde hair a light yank when he got over eager about something (made easier because he kept his hair in a short rat's tail). And those _eyes_….

Yes, Celica was a sucker for blonde hair and brown eyes. She didn't need to be reminded.

Grumbling, the gray-eyed woman slid off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, feeling the soft ache of a developing headache. _But_, she mused. If it was just a physical thing, she could get it out of her system; she was no stranger to it. And if Victor was just some guy she knew on the street, she would have no issue with it.

_But_.

Victor was someone she knew; not necessarily someone she cared about (she would never admit otherwise), but still someone she respected and trusted, someone she even joked with when she was in the mood. And to top that off, they were both good friends with Lutecia; anything that happened between them would undoubtedly spill over to her.

_But._

And of course, the lovely morality issue. Thinking of it made Celica smirk; with Shadows, it always circled back to morality, but in her case it was very simple. She had no problem admitting that as far as morals went, killing wasn't something that kept her up at night. Oh, she was certainly not a psycho looking for her next victim, she didn't _enjoy _it, but she never lost any sleep over it. She didn't have regrets, and she didn't have some kind of faint emotional attachment to her victims like Lutecia tended to.

Victor certainly wasn't as _bad _as Lutecia; he knew to keep his distance, to keep the line between victim and friend drawn clearly in the sand. But at the same time, he wasn't as cold as Celica was, wasn't as methodical, as merciless. He still had a certain degree of attachment; he had his ideals of right and wrong; he knew he was taking a life and acknowledged it, paid his dues for it. It wasn't a _large _difference, but it was still there.

Celica saw in shades of gray, occasionally in black. Victor still had a little white in his world, even if only a few dots and splashes.

"So, okay, it's a stupid reason, stop reminding me." Grumbling to herself and wondering if she needed to get out more often, Celica pushed her glasses back into place. She knew it was…. _odd _was the best word she could use, to not try to chase after someone because of morality. But Celica was logical, and in her mind, this was the biggest trip-up of _anything _they could have together. How could they possibly function if they were on different planes of morality?

No sooner did the thought form, then she heard the voices in her head start to chatter, to point out the counterexample to her thought. After all, Lutecia's girlfriend didn't even _know _what Lutecia did for a living; no doubt their takes on morality were as different as day and night, and that the summoner probably did a million things every day that broke the other girl's rules. Yet, they were happy together! …. Okay, so, maybe Lutecia was hiding her job occupation, but that was a required part of being a Shadow.

Now, the woman growled as the thought continued to nag at her. "Would you just shut up and leave me alone?"

"Aw, but I just got here."

… _Dammit._

Cursing her luck, Celica whirled her chair around to see Victor casually leaning against the frame of the door to her office. "What are you doing here?" she asked. She knew the answer before he even spoke; no doubt Lutecia knew she was working long hours and didn't want her to be left alone.

"Alphine asked me to keep an eye on you." As if sensing Celica's thoughts, he shrugged at the look she gave him. "Said she'd have done it herself, but she had some errands her mother asked her to run."

That was either true, or it was the worst lie Lutecia had ever come up with; in any case, Celica wasn't going to think about it too much. "Her mom has her wrapped around her finger, if that's the case," she commented, and turned back to face her computer, smirking at Victor's soft snort of laughter. "Anyway, don't you have somewhere to be tonight?"

"Nowhere important, unless you count a date at home with late night television." The man shrugged. "And I'll probably get a call from maintenance scolding me because I let Stella get banged up during my last mission."

"What an exciting night."

"I live for it."

The response was in line with Victor's usual snark, and while Celica didn't laugh, she still smiled a little. The work she had to finish for the night wasn't time-consuming or meaningful—she just had to complete a few reports, but she had felt a lazy streak and had pushed them off until the end of the day—so despite the fact that she worked, she was well aware of the man's presence.

Screw not thinking about it too much. Lutecia had clearly set this up; Celica was certain that somewhere, the summoner was snickering to herself at the position she had managed to put both of her friends in. Payback for all those times she had been teased about her nonexistent sex life.

_But._

It wasn't like Lutecia didn't have good intentions—deep, _deep _down. And really, if she wasn't willing to go along with it, Celica would have made herself clear and the purple-haired woman would have backed off. Morality issue aside, there was no way of denying it: at the very least, a simple attraction was there.

_And personally, I'm not a huge fan of living my life by 'buts'._

"Hey, Vic." Almost on reflex, she added, "Don't touch."

He immediately retracted his hand from a computer; he meant no serious harm, he was just a little too curious for his own good sometimes when it came to her work. "Yeah, Iris?"

"I haven't eaten dinner yet." She continued to type away. "Unless that date you have with late night television is really hot and kinky, want to pick up something to eat with me when I'm done here? I should be out in an hour or so."

There was a long silence. Despite what hung between them at that moment, Celica wasn't nervous or worried; she simply waited.

_But._

"Sure. You buying, or me? I have no problem either way."

Celica smirked.

"My treat."

* * *

Written with Syn's permission, because I ship Victor/Celica. Yes, I ship OCs.


	32. Mess With One

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The only thing I own in this short is Victor. Celica is Syn's OC and stars in _false light_.

* * *

Celica spun around in her chair, eyes wide at Victor's announcement. "The Director did _what_?"

"You heard me." The man scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Alphine's in intensive care right now so she doesn't bleed to death. I don't know what the hell kind of mission she was sent on, but it wasn't a good one for a returning field agent."

The woman bared her teeth. "I hope Takamachi kicked the ever living shit out of her." Celica didn't make it a habit of cursing, but dammit, she liked Lutecia. They weren't best friends, but the summoner was kind to her. "It wasn't just a chance assignment, was it?" She asked a question and meant it as a statement.

"I knew I liked you for a reason." Victor nodded. It was no secret that in the war currently being raged between the General and the new Director, many of the Shadows had their sympathies in Yagami's direction. Lutecia in particular made no attempt to hide that her true alliance was with Hayate, though she still obeyed Auris as far as it went. "And yes, for the record, the kid beat the hell out of the Director. It was fun." He smirked.

Celica, meanwhile, had her mind racing a mile a minute. She could care less about who won the war over the NSIS, but there was a rule among the Shadows: mess with one, mess with all. No doubt the incident would be tightly under lock and key, but if Victor knew about it, then there were already leaks. And if there were leaks…

The idea was quick, evil, and made her grin; spinning back around in her chair, a light came into Celica's eyes as she turned on her computer and started clicking away.

"Iris?" Curious, Victor stepped closer and peered over her shoulder. "What are you up to?"

"An act of God." With great flourish, Celica clicked open the website. "It's probably going to take me a couple hours at the least, all night at the most." She flashed a grin up at Victor. "Want to stay and watch me work a miracle, Vic?"

Victor grinned back. "Hell yes. I'll get the pizza and beer."

"Good boy. Call up Charlie and ask him to keep an eye on the situation with Alphine and the Director; I'd like to stay involved in things as I go, if something changes."

"Can do." The man saluted, the grin still in place. "I knew I loved you for a reason."

"Damn straight." Celica cracked her fingers and got to work.

* * *

A short written in response to an omake Dezo posted to the AS fanfiction thread, to follow up on his short "Shadow in the Rain" in which Vivio makes good on her threat of beating Auris if Lutecia gets hurt. I couldn't see Victor and Celica just standing by, either, so they helped out a bit in their own way.


	33. Innocent Question

Disclaimer: As per usual, I own nothing.

* * *

Megane absently licked her finger, using the leverage to flip through the morning paper. She knew it was an old-fashioned way of hearing about news, but for some reason she enjoyed the hour or so she spent reading it when she had time off. "Lutecia, dear, would you mind if I asked you a question?"

Trying her best to escape the heat, Lutecia flopped down on the couch, clicked open her can of cherry Coke, and took a large drink. "Go ahead, Mom."

The older woman absently flipped a page. "Considering you're dating Vivio, would you say you're a bisexual or just a lesbian who bloomed late?"

Lutecia's eyes popped out of her head and she choked on the Coke she had swallowed, gagging and sitting up as she gave in to a coughing fit. "What the heck, Mom?" She only bit back the 'hell' because Megane flicked her ear when she cursed. "Isn't it a little late to ask that? I've been dating Vi for two years now."

"I'm just curious, don't mind me." Megane chuckled. "I certainly don't doubt your feelings for her, sweetie. I just wonder how your mind works sometimes." And if she was honest with herself, she had called the couple from the moment Vivio had turned twelve and started following her daughter around with hearts in her eyes. Which reminded her, Nanoha still owed her money for that bet…

Groaning, the summoner fell back into the couch and took another, uninterrupted drink from her can. "Would you believe me if I said the thought never crossed my mind?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Lutecia frowned, pondering how to explain it. "I mean, it's not like falling in love with Vivio made me question my sexuality. It kind of just…. fit." She snapped her fingers, as if to show what it had been like. Or maybe it was just one of those weird little habits she had that Megane had never noticed until now. "I've never really thought of myself as a lesbian or a bisexual. I'm just in love with a girl."

Megane hummed softly, smiling to herself as she continued to thumb through the paper. It was probably a stumbling way of saying things, she mused, but then again, Lutecia had never been very good at articulating her feelings. The fact that she had even tried was something in and of itself.

Still, though, the woman couldn't resist her shots where she could take them.

"So, dear…"

"Yeah?"

"Would you consider yourself a depraved bisexual, or a psycho lesbian?"

_"MOM!"_

* * *

Because I never really properly defined Lutecia's sexuality within Shadowverse. I don't intend to now, this far in, but it was fun for the final exchange between her and Megane.


	34. Building Tolerance

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Lutecia eyed the bottle in front of her as if it were an enemy; narrowing her eyes slightly, she gave it a timid, almost uncertain poke.

"Alphine, relax, it ain't gonna bite you." Miranda laughed, watching her younger partner; she was firmly against the idea of the girl drinking any kind of alcohol while she was underage, but the simple fact was, that if she wanted to fit into a bar scene she needed to be used to drinking, if only grudgingly. She needed to know the taste so that she could tell if someone had mixed her drink with drugs or poison.

"What happened to not wanting me to drink?" the purple-haired girl muttered, giving the bottle another small poke as if it was a living thing. She dearly wished for a cherry Coke right about now; something she knew, something she was _familiar_ with.

"Like it or not, you'll have to have a sip sometime." Miranda picked up her own bottle and took a sip, as if to demonstrate. "Pretty girl like you ordering a cherry Coke in this kind of bar will stand out like a sore thumb. 'Sides, you need to know how it tastes in case your buddy slips something into it."

"Like what?" Oh, Lutecia could certainly guess what; she was just delaying the inevitable at this point.

"Date rape drugs, something that could cause nausea or hallucinations, outright poison." Miranda shrugged and nudged the bottle closer to her partner. "You've got no reason to like it, I respect that. But you've gotta at _least_ know how it should taste when it's done right, so you can tell when something's wrong."

"How do you even know I'll have that many bar missions?"

Miranda just gave Lutecia a look.

Sighing and giving in to the inevitable, Lutecia picked up the bottle. "I'm underage, you know."

"Alphine, you won't look it when you hit that last growth spurt. And besides, I'm not askin' that you drink enough to get sick; just take a couple sips, know how it should taste."

It was sketchy at best, and Miranda knew it; taking a few sips of alcohol wouldn't truly teach one how an intact, pure bottle was supposed to taste. But she wouldn't always be there to keep an eye on things to ensure that nothing bad happened to the young girl sitting beside her; perhaps this wasn't the best method in mind, but for now, it was what she could do.

Sighing one last time, Lutecia steeled herself and lifted the bottle to her lips, taking a sip; she didn't immediately toss it away or gag, but Miranda saw her expression and knew she didn't like the taste. Grimacing, she set it down again. "Miranda?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't see how _anyone_ could get addicted to this."

Miranda felt a small surge of relief; if worst came to worst, Lutecia wouldn't turn to alcohol and drink herself to her death. "It's an acquired taste, kid, trust me. Gotta say I'm not too fond of it myself."

Lutecia lifted a brow and took another small sip before she set it down again, licking her lips and shaking her head.

"Well, since you took it like a real trooper, why don't I buy you a can? It'll be on me."

Lutecia gave Miranda a look.

"What?"

"I thought you were going to—never mind." Hastily, the younger woman closed her mouth. The less she thought about what kind of jokes her partner could make concerning Vivio's lips and how they might taste, the better.

* * *

Maybe Miranda has too much fun teasing Lutecia. Maybe.


	35. Tuesday Morning

Disclaimer: As per usual, I own nothing. The drabble title was inspired by Michelle Branch's "Tuesday Morning" and is not mine in any way, shape, or form.

* * *

There were very few people Lutecia Alphine would drag herself out of bed at two in the morning for. There was the most obvious one, Megane. Her friends also fell into that category; Erio, Caro, Vivio, any one of the free Numbers who lived with the Nakajima family, even a few of her NSIS friends would have been enough for her to groan and tumble out of bed.

Since Erio happened to be her friend, that meant she was out of bed. Sighing and glancing once more around the bar, the summoner swirled her drink with her straw before taking a long, deep sip; it was too early in the morning for her favored cherry Coke, but the place wasn't a dump, which she had to admire. Finally lowering her glass, she eyed her old friend over the rim; at eighteen, Erio was tall, lanky, and his red hair was pulled back in a messy rat tail that would make a girl swoon.

He was also pale as a sheet.

She sighed. "All right, I'm here." Gently, she brushed her hand against his, her touch light. "So tell me what's going on? I thought you had a date night with Caro."

At that, the boy winced and nodded, taking a hard gulp from his drink and making Lutecia lift a brow. "We did," he said. "It… I mean, nothing bad happened. It was really… nice." Red flooded his face, all the way up to his ears, and had Lutecia blinking.

_Wait a minute…_

"… Erio, don't tell me you—"

"We did." His voice came out as a squeak, and he slowly sank down into his chair as his face became red enough to match his hair. Very slowly, Lutecia tightened her grip on her glass and took another drink, calmly, before lowering it with a soft clink.

"Erio."

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me you used protection."

"…" He squirmed. "Um, well, Vice-san snuck me this condom on my eighteenth birthday when Fate-san wasn't looking, and Caro's on a pill."

"Good. I'd have to kill you if it broke and she wasn't on anything."

Erio swallowed slightly. "Ah, no, everything… everything went fine. We didn't have… yeah."

"All right." Wondering why it was always her, Lutecia rubbed her eyes. "So you and Caro had a date, things happened." She didn't dare say they'd had sex; somehow, it felt way too surreal to think that her two best friends had gotten that far. "Why are you here with me instead of back in the apartment snuggling?"

Erio sighed and looked into his glass for a moment before he picked up his own straw, stirring the liquid inside. "I guess I chickened out."

"…" Lutecia gave him a once over. "You look fully dressed to me."

"Not with _that_!" he yelped, holding up his hands defensively. "I mean, I…." He raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated by his inability to properly voice his thoughts.

Lutecia tilted her head to the side. "Do you regret it happened?" There was no accusation or harshness in her tone; just a quiet question.

Hastily, he shook his head. "No! I mean, I think… I didn't expect it to happen, you know?" He looked down into his glass. "I mean, I knew it was _going _to happen eventually, we've been together for years, but somehow I wasn't… expecting it."

"What, was it bad?"

_"No!"_

"You're not really explaining the problem to me," Lutecia pointed out, bringing her glass to her lips. "I'm playing a guessing game here, Erio."

He sighed and slumped back against his chair, rubbing his eyes. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's…. it's that I didn't expect it. At all." He took a deep breath. "I mean, it was our first time and everything and it wasn't _perfect_, but it felt… _right_, you know? Even if maybe we didn't get it quite down." He drained the rest of his drink in one gulp. "And now I'm wondering what am I supposed to say to her?"

Cue blink.

"Wait, you mean you two didn't talk after?"

"She kissed me and snuggled in and fell asleep." He didn't know why it bothered him so much; that feeling that he'd done something wrong, judging by her silence. "So, no."

There was a long, quiet moment of silence before, with a groan, Lutecia dropped her head to the table with a thud. Erio blinked. "Lu?"

She held up a hand for silence; he clicked his mouth shut, and she lowered it. Finally, she lifted her head. "Erio, you've known Caro for what… eight years, now?"

"Yeah."

"And you've been with her how long? Not counting when you were ten and when Fate-san said "protect her" you took to it like a knight to a helpless princess." Caro was the farthest thing from helpless and they both knew it, but Lutecia couldn't think of a better analogy at the moment.

The young man's eyes softened at the memory. "We were fourteen when I asked her out, so… four years."

"Right. And in all that time, has Caro ever _not _spoken to you when you've done something wrong or something she doesn't like?"

The red-haired man blushed. "I'm not thinking clearly here, Lu."

"Obviously not." The affection in her tone softened the insult. "But, listen; you're worrying too much, you know? Caro's wanted this with you since she was old enough to know there's a physical side to relationships." She went silent for a moment. "I'd tell you just _how _long, but I've been sworn to secrecy and my stash of cherry Coke was threatened if I ever told you."

Erio winced sympathetically. After a moment, he laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'm being stupid, huh?"

"Only a little bit." Unable to resist, Lutecia gave his hand a soft squeeze. "But believe me, if she didn't want it, she would have told you long before you got this far; and if something was wrong after, there's no way she would have kept quiet. Just trust yourself a little bit, please?"

"I'll work on it." He smiled, slightly lopsided. "This must be an incredibly awkward topic for you."

"Only a little awkward."

"… Hey, Lu?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Caro groaned and turned, burrowing further into her pillow as she heard the alarm go off. Grumbling and finally giving in to the inevitable, she rolled and smacked the clock into sweet, precious silence and lay there for a moment. The only thing that stirred her further was the scent of cooking, and with one last sigh she crawled out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and headed for the kitchen.

She walked in to see Erio preparing some eggs, humming softly and wearing nothing but a loose pair of pants. Smiling slightly and blushing despite herself, Caro crossed the room and nuzzled up to his side. "Someone's up early," she murmured, kissing his cheek.

"I wanted to surprise you." He turned his head so their lips met; the lack of awkwardness felt amazingly right, and neither of them questioned it. "You like eggs, right?"

"So long as they aren't dragon eggs."

When Erio laughed, Caro smiled.

* * *

"Lutecia, dear? Your alarm's been going off for five minutes now, didn't you hear it?"

Baffled when she didn't hear her daughter respond, Megane gently pushed the door open to see what was wrong; a moment later, she laughed softly. The girl's clock continued to shrill as she lay tangled beneath the sheets of her bed, still deeply asleep and clutching tightly to her pillow.

Still chuckling, Megane silently crossed the room and gently quieted the alarm, running a hand through Lutecia's hair before she stepped back, turned, and headed back into the hallway, closing the door behind her with a gentle click.

Letting her daughter sleep in a little wouldn't hurt her.

* * *

To make it clear, Lutecia didn't dream the whole encounter up; she's sleeping in because she was out at early hours of the morning

Anyway, this one is old, but it's one of my favorites. I enjoyed writing out the interaction between Erio and Lutecia, since a lot of my friendship stuff tends to be Caro/Lutecia or Victor/Lutecia based. Erio/Lutecia friendship has surprising chemistry.


	36. Aftermath

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

* * *

It was the scream that woke Megane Alphine from her deep, peaceful slumber; a shrill, anguished scream completely different from the screams she had come to associate with her daughter. Not even taking a moment to contemplate it, the woman flew from her bed to her daughter's room, fully prepared to fight if Lutecia's life was in danger; her daughter was screaming as if her life had ended. She threw the door open, and it hit the wall with a mighty slam, flicking the light on.

Tangled in her sheets, Lutecia lay in a crumbled heap on the bedroom floor, panting and trembling, her eyes tightly closed. Slowly, Megane felt herself relax. She saw no sign of danger, no threat to the younger girl's wellbeing, and blew out a long breath, sagging against the side of the door. "Lutecia?"

The girl jerked and looked up at her, her eyes finally open; wide, dazed red eyes met her mother's gaze, and Lutecia thrashed weakly against the sheets tangled around her. This was a familiar scene for both of them over the past week or so; the seventeen-year-old summoner had been suffering from nightmares on a regular basis, always ending this way, with her on the floor and her mother in the doorway.

It was probably no surprise that neither of them had gotten much sleep this past week.

"I-I'm sorry, Mom." Finally, the teenager managed to kick free from her bed sheets and sat up, squirming uncomfortably. "I… I'm okay now. I didn't mean to wake you up." She forced a soft, shaky smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You can go back to sleep now."

This was another familiar scene, Megane mused; the aftermath of whatever had jerked her daughter out of sleep, whatever had made her scream. Always the girl would wake, come back to herself, and sheepishly apologize before telling her mother it was fine for her to go back to sleep.

Megane didn't know what had happened to Lutecia to trigger these nightmares; didn't know why her child always screamed as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest, why she fell out of her bed reaching for someone who wasn't there. The most Lutecia had ever told her was that someone she knew had died on a mission, and it had been painful. They'd been friends, she said. They'd occasionally worked together.

Megane only had to look into Lutecia's eyes to know she was being lied to somewhat, but she never questioned it, simply accepting what her daughter offered her. She knew she couldn't force the girl to talk about it until she was ready.

Lutecia shakily got to her feet, shaking her head; this was the part where Megane usually accepted what her daughter said, wished her a good night, and returned to her bedroom. This was the usual aftermath.

_Not tonight._

On quiet feet, Megane crossed the bedroom and gently pulled her child into her arms, nuzzling her hair softly. "Come on," she said softly. "Sleep with me tonight, Lu. It might keep the nightmares away."

Lutecia was quiet for a moment; Megane was fully prepared for the girl to push her away, and sighed internally with relief when the younger woman crumbled into her arms slightly and clung to her. "Okay," she said softly, the word practically a sob.

Wordlessly, she guided her daughter back to her room, gently settled her into bed, and turned off the light before going to join her. The moment Megane slid under the covers Lutecia latched onto her tightly and buried her face into her neck, holding on to her as if she was ten years old again and afraid that her mother would disappear if she didn't hold on tightly enough.

"… Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I'm sorry." Her voice was already drowsy; exhaustion was catching up with her. "I'm sorry I'm always waking you up." And with that Lutecia passed out, soothed by her mother's presence.

Her eyes softened, but Megane said nothing; instead, she simply drew Lutecia tighter into her arms and rested her cheek against her hair, closing her eyes. It didn't take long for the mother to follow her daughter into sleep.

They slept through the rest of the night and didn't wake until much later in the morning.

* * *

And now for some angst to break up your fluff and humor. You're welcome. Takes place about a week or so after Miranda's death in the Shadowverse timeline.


	37. Shadow's Contradiction

Disclaimer: As per usual, I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

Yagami Hayate was tired.

In light of that fact, taking time to review her usual load of Shadow cases before going to bed probably wasn't the best decision she'd ever made; but when she had decided to act as Chrono's "angel on the shoulder" so to speak, she'd known right away that she was _definitely _not making the best decision she'd ever made.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes, before she reached up to adjust the light of her lamp a little. Normally she would have kept the whole room alit, but her boys were sleeping just down the hall, and any small amount of brightness was enough to have them up and poking around. Honestly…. She loved her sons, she always had and always would, but sometimes she wondered where they had gotten their sense of curiosity and adventure. They were still young yet. Perhaps they would outgrow it in their teenage years, if she got lucky….

It was at that moment that Hayate noticed a warm pair of arms that hadn't been resting on her shoulders before, a hand innocently toying with the top button of her blouse. She smirked. "Dear, if you're trying to undress me, you're doing a poor job of it."

"I never do a poor job of anything." Her husband grinned before he pulled back, and she turned the chair around to face him. In the dim light of the room, it didn't escape her notice that Verossa was shirtless, and had she had some free time on her hands she probably would have taken advantage of that fact.

"Have I kept you up? I tried to keep the light down so you could sleep."

"It's fine, I've been awake for awhile." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Besides, I could hear you thinking from here."

"Hear me think—" Of course he would, she thought with a small smirk. If there was one thing Verossa Acous was known for, it was his ability to read people even when they put on a mask. It was one of the reasons he was Chrono's friend. "I'm sorry I was so loud."

"I'm sure you didn't mean it." He patted the space beside him, a clear invitation.

Hayate knew him well enough to know that if she said no, he would understand; Verossa had never been the type to hold grudges. He'd married her knowing full well that in some cases, work would take priority over any family they had.

So she felt no guilt when she stood and crossed the room, sitting down next to him and resting her cheek against his shoulder, comforted by the warmth of his skin. She felt his hand settle on her shoulder and closed her eyes. "I feel like I'm watching a train wreck in progress."

He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. "The talk with Chrono didn't go well?"

"It went fine. I didn't stay very long once I knew he hadn't sent Lutecia-chan out himself. I just feel like I'm on a hill watching two trains speeding right at each other, and I have no way of stopping it."

It was an odd example for the current situation, but also very fitting; Verossa knew immediately what she was talking about. "No way of stopping it, huh?"

"Putting her under suicide watch wouldn't work, though I know the medic threatened to. You can force Lutecia-chan off duty and into a psychologist's office, but she's a Shadow. She won't talk if she doesn't want to." Hayate opened her eyes and shook her head. "She's boxed herself in, Rossa. I don't know what's worse: that her superiors saw it and did nothing to prevent it, or that she worked so hard to get there in the first place."

"There's one way out of the corner," Verossa offered. At that, Hayate grimaced.

"Of course. Send in her seventeen-year-old girlfriend to work through years of self-hatred and emotional confusion, when said girlfriend has, in the past few days alone, had her whole sense of morality questioned, learned about a side of Lutecia-chan that she never saw for eight years, and if things keep going at this rate, will never see Nanoha-chan eye-to-eye ever again."

It was easy to understand Hayate's frustration when she put it like that. In essence, they were using a teenager, someone who had really only started to learn about the world, to defuse a ticking time bomb that everyone else had willingly ignored since the death of Miranda Creed.

"I still think they have a chance," he said softly. "Vivio loves Lutecia, and if anything, she's inherited Nanoha's determination. If she has to, I can see her dragging Lutecia out of that corner kicking and screaming."

The image made Hayate chuckle, just as he had hoped it would. "Considering that growth spurt, I think she's physically capable of it," the brown-haired woman murmured. "The question is, once she's dragged Lutecia-chan out of that corner, will Lutecia-chan be able to make it the rest of the way on her own?"

And that was what it came down to, in the end; not if Vivio could save Lutecia, but if Lutecia could come to terms with her own sense of self. Doing that meant taking a good, hard look at her eight years of service as a Shadow and deciding if she still believed enough in the ideal of it to keep trying in the field, or if she'd had enough and walked away from it completely to start over.

It was a risky chance; Lutecia had staked too much of her own worth into the job, had believed for far too long that she could do nothing else. Expecting her to look back on that time with a clear mind and rationally decide to completely throw it away was the same as expecting her to toss out a chunk of who she was. It wasn't impossible—it had happened before, with many other people, and they had survived it well enough—but it was hard.

_But even beyond that…_

"Really," Hayate sighed, "it's a question of whether or not Lutecia-chan wants to follow in Nanoha-chan's footsteps."

At that, Verossa blinked. He'd been following his wife right up until her last statement. "Nanoha?"

Seeing she had lost him, Hayate chuckled again. "Yes, Nanoha-chan. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I'd say Nanoha-chan is Lutecia-chan's ideal."

"… I'm still lost."

This time she couldn't resist and laughed softly, leaning up and kissing him lightly on the lips. Pulling back, she smiled slightly. "Think of it this way, Rossa. You've read Lutecia-chan's mission reports just as I have. Have you noticed a pattern?"

Verossa blinked, frowning slightly as he thought back on what he had read. Hayate had to resist the sudden and brief urge to jump him right then and there. "She saves people," he said at last. "It doesn't matter if it's a civilian, a fellow agent, or even one of the bad guys who got caught in the line of fire. She tries to save as many people as she can." While usually putting herself at risk in the process, but he knew he didn't need to say that.

"Exactly. And who else do we know does her best to save people, even at her own risk?"

He blinked again; he was starting to get it, she could see it in his eyes, but some threads of it were still out of his reach. "Nanoha."

"Again, exactly. Now, think of it like this." Hayate took a deep breath. "Deep down, Lutecia-chan is a kind person. She always has been, so that's part of what drives her. Then you take her and expose her to someone like Nanoha-chan, who has never hidden the fact that she believes you should find a way to save everyone without sacrificing a few."

He got it now. "It would only strengthen her own urge to save people," Rossa finished. "She's already naturally inclined to it because of her personality, but spending time with someone who believes that would only make her inclination ten times stronger."

"Right." It was the equivalent of tossing gasoline onto an already burning fire; it would only make the flames stronger.

A moment later, though, Verossa frowned and shook his head. "That thinking makes no sense," he muttered. "I don't mean to sound cruel, but Lutecia is a Shadow, first and foremost. Shadows aren't exactly the kind of agents expected to save people."

"That wasn't cruel, it was honest." Hayate sighed. "And that's where Lutecia-chan is getting all tangled up. Because of who she truly is, and because of her exposure to people like Nanoha-chan, she wants to do the heroic thing, the _right _thing, and save people without losing any of them. The problem is, the whole idea behind the Shadows is to save many while sacrificing a few."

It was easy to see where the ideals clashed. It was a thought of saving people, with two totally different ideas on how to do it.

Verossa's frown became thoughtful. "Do you think Nanoha knows, and that's why she's still having such a hard time accepting Lutecia?"

"I think Nanoha-chan knows that Lutecia-chan is the type who would save everybody if she could. I'm just guessing, but it would explain part of her reason why she can't fully accept Lutecia-chan." Hayate paused. "Well, besides the fact that she's also by proxy exposing Vivio to all of this."

Verossa winced and nodded; he was suddenly grateful their boys weren't old enough yet to date.

"To Nanoha-chan, you could say Lutecia-chan is the ultimate contradiction. She wants to save as many people as she can, yet she does it in such a way that she'll lose as many people as she saves." Hayate shook her head. "It's a major gray spot. Nanoha-chan always hated gray spots."

"And now her daughter is dating the gray spot."

Hayate snickered at that. "When you put it like that, it sounds funny; but it's true. And what probably makes it even _worse _for Nanoha-chan is that Vivio's accepted Lutecia-chan's contradiction and loves her anyway."

"…. Is there any chance we can just lock the boys up until they're thirty or so? This 'parents of a dating teenager' thing sounds painful and confusing."

"I'm considering it."

The silence that followed after that was comfortable and warm; Hayate felt as if she could fall asleep at any moment. Finally, though, she got up and went over to her files, setting them away for the night and shutting down her system. "In the end it all comes down to what Lutecia-chan decides," she said as she moved around the room. "So I guess worrying about it is pointless since it's out of my hands."

"You're worried. It's natural." Verossa leaned back on his elbows, watching as his wife finished shutting down her work station. "Are you coming to bed?"

Hayate smiled wickedly.

"If I remember right, you didn't do a very good job of undressing me."

* * *

Last line kind of bugs me a bit but eh, I thought it was good enough.

Special thanks to DezoPenguin for inspiring this piece; it's old, but it was my discussions with him about Lutecia and Shadowverse as a whole that inspired this piece, and by writing it and talking to him about it, I was able to get a better grasp on Lutecia's psyche. So, thank you to him!


	38. Stray

Disclaimer: The only two things I own in this short are Miranda, and the cat.

* * *

In general, Miranda Creed didn't consider herself an animal person. Growing up in an orphanage, she figured, would do that to a person; certainly, the building had had its share of cats to handle mice and other small rodents that tried to sneak in during the winter, but as a rule of thumb it was considered best to _avoid _the hunting toms, instead of trying to befriend them. So cats had never been much of an option to her. She'd interacted with her fair share of dogs over the years as well, but nothing had ever touched her in any particular way about the animal, and so she saw no reason to become attached to one.

Simply put, Miranda hadn't grown up with animals, and largely ignored animals. She had never considered it a serious problem, compared to other things.

Unfortunately, now she kind of was.

"Alphine, where did you get that cat?"

The fifteen-year-old girl blinked, glancing up at her mentor; leaning back against the headboard of one of the beds in the motel room, the summoner was absently stroking the back of a fluffy white kitten, the small animal purring contentedly, its tail wrapped tightly around its body.

"Um…." The younger Shadow seemed to fish for a decent excuse before she gave up. "Well, when we completed the mission and left headquarters, it was raining, and I saw him huddled up in some boxes off to the side…" She shrugged, moving her hand up to scratch the kitten behind the ears.

_You're too sweet for your own good, kid._

Frowning slightly, Miranda crossed her arms over her chest. How had she failed to notice the animal until now? Certainly, it had been dark outside, and raining rather hard, and they'd been in a rush to leave the main home of the rebel faction challenging the TSAB control on this planet, so it wasn't like she'd had a moment to notice or hear any cat. From a hiding perspective, it was possible Lutecia had simply tucked the kitten into her jacket, or under her arm; keeping him hidden and silent would have been simple.

"Um… Miranda?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, the black-haired woman shook her head. "Sorry. I was just wondering how ya managed to sneak 'im in…" Wait. "Alphine, how do you it's a male?"

Another shrug was her reply. "I haven't checked. It feels weird to call him 'it', though."

…

They would need to have a long, long talk about attachment issues when they were safely back in NSIS headquarters. Miranda wasn't looking forward to it.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft, steady rumble of the kitten's purr; clearly, it was enjoying the attention it was getting from Lutecia. Biting back a grumble, Miranda crossed the room and sat down on her own bed. "I never took ya for a cat person," she said, a way of starting the conversation.

Lutecia shook her head. "I don't know what kind of person I am," she admitted sheepishly, blinking when the kitten rolled over onto its back and lifted its paws, batting at her fingers. "I just thought, he was wet and cold. He shouldn't have to be stuck out there."

Of course, now the question was what to do with him; Miranda pushed it back for the time being. "You like animals?"

The summoner seemed to think about it, lightly tickling the kitten's belly. "I don't hate them," she said at last. She paused before she spoke again. "You know Garyuu, right?"

"Yep." Who _couldn't _know Garyuu? Only two years as a Shadow, and already the girl's summon was developing a legend of his own as her fiercest, most loyal protector.

"I raised him from scratch." Lutecia opened her palm, and the kitten's paw pressed against her skin gently. "He was about this small when I first summoned him. I guess I have a weakness for seeing little things left alone in the cold."

The older woman blinked. Well… that had been unexpected. While not secretive, Lutecia had never mentioned much about her past prior to becoming a Shadow. Certainly, Miranda knew her partner's past, but she only knew the bare bones; she only knew the simple facts that everyone else knew. After two years of working with the girl, she had resigned herself to the fact that Lutecia would never talk about it.

_It certainly goes a long way in explaining Garyuu's intelligence and loyalty, though…_

Catching hold of that thought before it wandered too far, Miranda finally decided to address the most pressing matter they currently had at hand. "So," she said, drumming her fingers lightly against her knee, "what are we goin' to do with 'im?"

Lutecia blinked. Honestly, she hadn't thought that far. "Do with him?"

"Alphine, we're flying back home tomorrow morning. They won't let him by security unless one of us claims him as ours, and I doubt your mom would appreciate you coming home from your mission with a kitten."

The younger girl cringed. Oh, yes, she _hadn't _thought that far. "I… I was thinking maybe I could just sneak him through."

"More trouble than it's worth." Miranda flopped back against her pillows, mimicking her partner's relaxed appearance. "And you can't go back out into that storm to try and find someone on the planet to take him; we need to lie low until we get home."

Lutecia grimaced, slumping a little. As if sensing her distress, the kitten mewled softly and rolled over again, gently nudging her hand with its nose. It nudged its way gently under her fingers, rubbing against her, and purred. The purple-haired girl lightly patted its head before getting off the bed, setting it down.

Miranda perked up. "Where are you going?"

"To get him some water. I can just fill a plastic cup up and give it to him. He'll get thirsty."

And with that, she disappeared into the bathroom. The door closed, and Miranda heard the sound of running water.

Blissfully unaware of its predicament, the kitten once more rolled over onto its back, flopping its legs over. Opening golden eyes, it peered at Miranda upside down.

Dammit. She was starting to see why the kid had taken pity on the animal.

Miranda sighed, shaking her head. "You know," she murmured, "you're making it very difficult for me to convince her to just leave you outside."

_"Mew."_

* * *

Originally was supposed to be a three part "Shadowcat" saga, but since I can't think of a satisfying conclusion for the little guy, the next part will probably be the last unless a resolution occurs to me. In the meantime, enjoy how two Shadows are completely disarmed by a little kitten!


	39. Solution

Disclaimer: I only own Miranda and the cat.

* * *

The clock beside the motel bed lit up in the darkness, alerting the sole occupant still awake that it was well after three in the morning. Sighing and shifting in the bed, settling back against the pillows, Miranda Creed was in no rush to fall back to sleep; she and Lutecia had to get up in two hours, anyway. Her mind on her partner, Miranda glanced over at the girl, sleeping peacefully in the other bed. The kitten was snuggled in the crook of her arm, its breathing soft and even, snuggled tightly against her.

Miranda sighed softly. Perhaps she was worrying too much over the situation, but she couldn't see this ending well. At all. Lutecia had never struck her as a cat person, but the girl was clearly attached to the small white fur ball.

The black-haired woman knew that on the scale of evil, leaving a kitten in the streets wasn't the worst thing she had done; in some ways, it saddened her that the thought only caused her a brief twinge of guilt. And in the rush of getting to the ship and heading home, it would be easy for Lutecia to lose track of the cat and for it to go missing. Miranda doubted the girl would even think she'd had anything to do with it.

Problem was, she just didn't have it in her to do that to the kid. At fifteen, a Shadow of two years, Lutecia still had quite a bit of maturing to do before she reached her full potential. It was Miranda's job to guide her to becoming the best agent she could be, with quick reflexes and a clean conscience. Sooner or later, she'd have to learn that sometimes, you just lost things.

_But not now_. Grimacing a little, the older woman rubbed her eyes. _Man, I've gotten soft._

Well, there was always the third option. Miranda highly doubted Lutecia would manage to sneak the kitten through the guards when they boarded.

XXXXXXXX

"I can't believe ya managed to sneak 'im in."

Lutecia had the decency to look sheepish, but Miranda didn't miss the small gleam of satisfaction in her red eyes as the younger girl leaned against the window, gazing down at the gradually disappearing planet. Its purr muffled by the fact that it was hidden in her coat sleeve, the kitten snuggled happily into its warm hiding place.

"I've had a good teacher," the summoner murmured, smirking when Miranda rolled her eyes.

"I don't remember teachin' ya how to sneak."

The purple-haired girl shrugged, the perfect picture of innocence. Since they were currently alone and in a secluded part of the ship, she lifted her arm up a little, letting the kitten squirm out of its hiding place and scramble onto her shoulders, nuzzling her cheek with its nose.

Miranda had to admit, it was a cute scene. "So, what now, Alphine?"

Lutecia winced, lifting a hand to scratch the kitten between its shoulder blades. "I have to figure out who will take him."

"Your mom doesn't like animals?"

The summoner shrugged, moving carefully to mind her companion. "It's not really that. I know cats are supposed to be independent, but she's at work pretty much all day, and I'm always gone too unless I have time off. Our apartment is really small. I don't think it's fair to him to keep him cooped up in there."

"No friends?"

"Well, there's Vivio," Lutecia admitted; it was clear from her tone that she had been considering the option before Miranda had asked. "But, um… I think Fate-san is really more of a dog person."

Sensing there was an implication there that currently flew over her head, Miranda blinked several times before she sighed. "So basically, no plan."

"Basically."

Silence fell between them then; Miranda glanced at her partner. Clearly, Lutecia had no idea what to do with her furry feline friend, and it was the kind of thing that would eat at her until a solution presented itself.

Acting perfectly nonchalant, the brown-eyed woman shifted closer to her partner and lifted her hand, lightly passing her fingers down the kitten's back in a soft stroke. Instantly, the animal purred and arched, enjoying the touch. Amused, Miranda repeated the gesture, then gently lifted the animal off its perch and into her arms.

"Miranda?"

Shrugging, the older woman gently tickled a sensitive spot at the back of the kitten's neck, amused when it mewled in pleasure. "Well, I'm just thinkin' here. Kel and I, we've got a decently sized house. Nothin' big o' fancy, but a good size. And the man's always been sweet on animals of every size an' shape."

Lutecia's eyes lit up. "Then?"

"I'll take your buddy home and see what 'e says about it, 'kay?"

All things considered, Miranda Creed had never been an animal person. She certainly hadn't expected to start thinking about pets now.

But seeing the way her partner's eyes lit up with relief and delight, and the way she smiled, made the change worth it.

….

They _still_ needed to have that discussion about attachment issues, though. The sooner Lutecia learned to keep a distance, the better.

* * *

And so ends the Shadowcat saga, unless I can figure out what happens to the little thing after Miranda dies. Only time will tell!


	40. Mama Bear

Disclaimer: Nothing in this short is mine.

* * *

"Mom?"

Lutecia wasn't looking forward to this. Logically, she knew, there was no reason to be concerned; Megane Alphine wasn't the type who had large, emotional reactions to news. She never really had, and the young summoner doubted she ever would. There was something comforting about that knowledge, even if now Lutecia was an adult who could look after herself.

Still… this was new ground for her. She had no idea how Megane would handle what the younger woman was about to tell her.

_She's my mother. She deserves to know._

Reading over a file for her upcoming mission, Megane glanced up at Lutecia's call and adjusted her glasses, smiling when she saw her daughter standing in the doorway to her. "Yes? What is it, Lutecia?"

Lutecia took a deep breath. Mentally, she said every prayer she knew as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

"There's something I need to tell you."

XXXXXXXX

In retrospect, deep down, Chrono Harlaown knew he should have seen this coming. Ever since Lutecia Alphine had signed up to become a field agent for the NSIS, taking the name Shadow, he had waited for the day her mother found out about it and came knocking on his door.

He had seen it coming. Oh yes, he had.

He just hadn't expected it to hurt so _much_.

Slumped back in his chair, the black-haired man grimaced and brought up a hand to rub along his bruised jaw, wondering if the blinding pain he felt was because of the shock of it, or because she'd actually broken his jaw. "I never knew you hit so hard," he managed.

She lifted a brow, sitting down on the chair in front of his desk. It stung his pride that she didn't even need to rub her fist. "I've been told."

The implication that she had punched someone this hard before was an intriguing one and worthy of discussion, but Chrono knew it wasn't something he could bring up now. Giving his bruised skin one last rub and wondering when Shamal would be free, he straightened up. "I take it since you scared my secretary into submission and stormed into my office and punched me without a word—"

"My daughter told me." Megane's voice was icy, her eyes nothing more than two chips of molten red lava.

Another grimace. Chrono knew it would happen; once Vivio found out, it was only a matter of time before Lutecia gave in and told other people deeply involved in her life. And of course, right after Vivio would be Megane.

Lowering his hand, he sighed. "I take it you came here to kill me, then."

"I considered it." Megane clasped her hands in her lap, crossing her legs calmly. "But since Lutecia assured me numerous times that you weren't to blame, I've decided to let you live."

"Then why did you punch me?"

The woman smirked. "I said I wouldn't kill you. I never said anything about not _hurting _you."

…

Chrono was beginning to learn why Zest had considered this woman one of his best field agents. She was _frightening _when she put her mind to it. "Fine," he said at last. "If you know that I'm not the one who personally manipulated Lutecia by using you, why did you come here?"

Megane's eyes blazed for a dangerous instant. "Where are the two who convinced her to sign up? I want to talk to them."

The man shrugged. "They retired years ago. They were both mentally traumatized by a mission I sent them on not long after Lutecia became a Shadow. I have no idea why. They were both seasoned, experienced veterans in the business. I thought they were tougher than that."

Megane's smirk returned. "How convenient."

Chrono watched the woman for a moment. Judging it was safe for him to speak again, he finally cleared his throat, though his voice was soft. "She told you everything?"

"… Yes." Megane lowered her eyes to her hands. She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze again. "I don't like it, but she told me over and over again that it isn't something she regrets." She bit her lip. "I just hate that I was used against her."

_Again._

The unspoken word hung between the two of them before Chrono spoke again. "If it helps at all," he began, "she's one of the best agents I've had."

Megane lifted a brow. "Do you want me to hit you again?"

"No, ma'am."

"Smart boy."

Chrono made a mental note to give his secretary a raise. The poor girl, in the course of a few days, had dealt with Hayate teleporting into his room several times, and now a furious Megane Alphine storming past her. She was due a vacation.

Maybe he was due one, too.

* * *

Poor Chrono. Though to be fair, in some ways he kind of brought it on himself.

Megane is shockingly addicting to write. Any short I have including her is rapidly overtaken by her.


	41. Pillow Talk

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

The singsong chime of a connection being formed alerted Lutecia to the fact that a call was incoming on her Device; she groaned, rolled over, and shoved her head under her pillow to muffle the sound. Next to her, Miranda muttered sleepily and shifted before settling in, continuing to sleep as if nothing had disturbed her. Thanks to the small size of the hotel room and exhaustion from the mission they had just completed, they were sleeping together in the same bed.

"Asclepius, block the call," the summoner muttered; usually she was more polite about things, but she had just finished an infiltration mission for the NSIS and was trying to catch what little sleep she could before they left the planet in the morning. She didn't even dare glance at the alarm clock beside the small hotel bed.

_**"Incoming call is Takamachi Vivio."**_

Exhaustion and the aches in her body had the lilac-haired girl briefly consider blocking the call anyway, just so she could get some sleep. Affection for the girl who was calling made her pull her head out from under her pillow and roll over, holding Asclepius up. "All right, let her through."

There was a confirming beep in response to her command; a moment later, the small holoscreen opened up. Even in pixels, Vivio looked ready to burst with energy. Lutecia shifted a little to get more comfortable, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Hey, Vi." She tried to smile; it came out sleepy and lopsided.

"Hey, Cia!" On the other hand, her friend was practically bubbling with energy; something good must have happened. An instant later, she realized the state her friend was in and winced, lowering her voice. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Beside her, Miranda grumbled; Lutecia chuckled softly. "Yeah. It's all right."

Vivio's shoulders drooped a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't think the time differences would be so big, we just finished eating dinner here…"

"Hey, I said it's all right." Lutecia smiled again, and this time it came out as she intended. "So what happened?"

Seeming soothed by her older friend's reassurances, Vivio's excitement returned full force. "You remember that big Belkan history test you were helping me study for all week?"

"Yeah." She'd spent that week splitting time between the Library and her mission briefings and training. Not a fun week overall, but she didn't regret a moment of it. "Did you pass?"

The honey blonde's eyes lit up. "Yes! I even did better than Corona for once!"

Corona, Corona, Corona… Lutecia wracked her sleep-clouded brain, trying to match the name to the face. It took her a moment, but eventually she recalled the fair-haired girl Vivio was friends with, and that she was the top of her class. Vivio scoring higher than her on a test was a pretty big deal.

"That's great, Vi!" Her delight for her friend was genuine, even if her voice was soft so she wouldn't stir her sleeping companion. Miranda grunted anyway and elbowed Lutecia; without so much as looking at her, the red-eyed summoner plucked up her pillow, reached back, and whacked her partner over the head with it.

"Yeah, Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama were very proud." Vivio beamed, pleased that she had been able to make her mothers happy that way. She leaned in closer to the screen. "Oh, and guess what else?"

"What?"

Now she practically exploded with excitement. "Nanoha-mama is taking me in tomorrow to get me a Device!"

Lutecia blinked, trying to process this information and remember why it was so important; she eventually did, and laughed softly. "Only took her four years."

"I know." Vivio pouted. "I even asked if I could get it when I was nine, like her and Fate-mama, but she said no."

Personally, Lutecia understood the reasoning of Nanoha's logic; the younger Vivio was given a Device, the sooner she was considered ready and able to be trained for combat. She had already received some light training in the area, but it was only small, physical combat stuff; nothing that could really support her in a battlefield with traps set and spells blazing. Just the thought of Vivio even entering a battlefield at the same age as her mothers made Lutecia shudder.

"Cia?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking." She shook it off, then grinned. "But that's great news! You must be excited."

"I am! I'm a little nervous, since apparently the personality has been programmed and everything." Vivio fidgeted. "I hope he or she likes me."

"I'm sure they will, Vivio. It's hard to not like you."

Vivio giggled at the compliment; she leaned back in her chair, satisfied that her excitement in the news had somehow drifted through the screen and infected her friend. The lull in conversation allowed Lutecia's exhaustion to momentarily catch up with her mind, and she muffled a yawn behind her hand.

"Are you coming home tomorrow?"

"If it all works out. I should be home by about…. Um… I want to say noon Mid-Childan time."

"Oh, so you'll be home after I get my Device! Cool, I'll bring him or her over and show you!"

"Sounds like a plan." Lutecia was distracted by another yawn. "I'm sorry, Vi…"

"Yeah, I know." Vivio smiled sheepishly. "I should be the one apologizing, since I woke you up and all."

"It's okay. I'm glad you told me." The older girl smiled sleepily. "You'll have to tell me more about it when I get home."

"I will." Vivio nodded, then hesitated for a moment before she spoke again, softly. "Cia?"

"Yeah?"

The younger girl smiled at her friend. "Sweet dreams."

Lutecia chuckled again; her eyes softened. "Sweet dreams. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? It's a promise."

"Okay."

The call ended then, with another soft beep to indicate the line being cut; the holoscreen powered down and Lutecia sighed sleepily, grabbing her pillow back from Miranda's hair and setting it down, resting against it.

She was asleep in an instant, lulled by Miranda's soft breathing.

* * *

So this is apparently my last drabble from this group that's my most recent, which kind of surprises me. I thought I had more, unless I missed some. Ah, well. We'll see.

On the side, I edited this a bit after Dezo's comment on AS about how his thoughts wandered when he saw Lutecia and Miranda sharing a bed. Hopefully this clears it up!

In the timeline, this is pre-confession and pre-romance, so it's just friendship fluff. Vivio is ten, Lutecia is fourteen.

Ultimately decided to settle on "equal friendship in spite of the age difference", since it makes the romance that follows a little less awkward in some respects. XD


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